A Shadow Revisited
by LittleMewLugia
Summary: Based on the game Pokemon XD:Gale of Darkness. Julie the half Articuno, Rachel the Lugiagirl, and Lu the baby Lugia get caught up in Cipher's evil plans. It is up to Ash Ketchum, Lawrence the III, and their friends to rescue them. NOW COMPLETED!
1. Prologue

A Shadow Revisited.

Setting: Around the same time as the events in "Pokémon XD: Gale

of Darkness." At any point between the Libra being stolen and the big

fight against Greevil.

PROLOGUE

Grand Master Greevil was speaking to three of his Admin Team-

Lovrina, Snattle, and Gorigan, who were in charge of the production,

maintenance, distribution and improvement of his Shadow Pokémon.

"I find XD001 suitably impressive and powerful, despite the problems

with its production. In fact, it has worked so well, I think I would like

another like it to augment my team. I have heard it said that there is

more than one Lugia in the seas around Shamouti Island, so I will get

my ultimate Pokémon to go pick itself up a companion." He turned to

the shuttered window and raised the shutter.

"XD001!"

Greevil summoned his ultimate Shadow Pokémon, which cried out to

him to indicate it was listening, and rose into view. It was a Lugia,

but the Shamouti Islanders would have been hard pressed to

recognise it as such, apart from the basic shape.

This Lugia had been Shadowed so thoroughly that even people

lacking the Shadow-Sight ability could see the differences. For a

start, its Shadow Aura had permeated it's skin. Where it used to be

white it was a deep purple, where it had been blue was a silver-grey

colour. It's feet had sharp, evil-looking talons where Lugia had had

rounded toes before, and the diamonds over it's eyes had elongated

and mutated to resemble vicious-looking blades. The crest on its

head looked meaner and sharper as well, and it's mouth looked

fiercer, it's teeth longer and sharper, it's top beak edge hooked like a

bird of prey's. It was plain to see that this was a predator.

It was the eyes that really set off and stood out from

the rest of the creature. They burned a fierce, almost luminous, red.

Its gaze was the sort that felt as it could sear your soul and paralyse

you with fear, the sort of gaze that if you held felt as it could suck

you into its depths and you could be lost forever within it. This was

about as far from the benign Guardian image loved by the Shamouti

islanders that you could get, a twisted mirror image of the Guardian

of the Islands.

Greevil addressed this beast of Shadow. "Go to the Orange Islands. If

you see one there like you, grab it and bring it here." He paused. "I

have heard rumours of a small, young Lugia. It doesn't have to be

the same size as you. If it resembles you, bring it here. Now go!" The

Shadow Lugia cried again, and set off. Greevil turned back to his

Admins.

"So, what news do you bring of our latest addition? The one you

found by chance and knocked out to bring here?"

"We took her to the factory, as you ordered, Grand Master." Said

Gorigan. "The process should be beginning about now."


	2. Julie

Julie

JULIE

Julie awoke slowly. Her head ached where that thug had struck her,

and unfamiliar, disquieting noise assailed her. It took all her self-

control not to sit up and look around. By pretending to still be

unconscious, she might be able to overhear some of the

conversations she could now hear going on around her.

Their first visit to Orré since the "Shadow" incidents of five

years ago, and she had been kidnapped again. She recalled that she

and the children had been attacked by three shady figures. She

remembered urging the children, the twins, now 10, and Lawril, who

was now 8, to take flight-figuratively and literally-as she distracted

the menacing trio with a Blizzard. She had not thought herself to be

in peril, the first thing she had noted with some relief was that none

of them wore a Snag machine. It had been a shock when the biggest

of the lot had fought through the blizzard and stuck her on the head,

hard, and the world had gone black.

Julie had the impression that more than a few minutes had

passed since then, and wondered how they'd kept her under-drugs if

the grogginess and full-head ache she was experiencing was any

indicator. First things first: had the children gotten clean away or had

they been captured after her?

She expanded her awareness and mentally called their names. She

was relieved to receive no response, nor any impression of their

presence If they were out of range, than she was sure they must

have escaped, and told their father what had happened. Now she had

just two questions: why had they taken her and where? She strained

her ears to hear the conversation she could hear going on between

two people nearby.

She could not hear all of the conversation, because of the

mechanical clanking of some machinery that was constantly going,

but the snatches she did catch-containing phrases and words like

"Shadow Pokémon", "purification resistant", "Admin" and "Cipher"

told her everything she needed to know, and confirmed her deepest

fears.

Once again, she was in the clutches of Cipher, who had turned

up, and began creating "Shadow Pokémon"-Pokémon whose hearts

had been artificially closed-five years ago. Julie had herself been a

victim of the process four times, each time being caught in a poké

ball by Cipher associates wearing something known as a "Snag

machine"-a device that could be used to steal Pokémon from their

rightful trainers. Lawrence had had to resort to having one made to

retrieve her, and it had been gathering dust, to her relief, not having

to be used for five years, since the last incident.

Her heart went cold. She thought the Cipher racket had been

smashed back then, by Seth and Yuki, with the help of both Ashes,

Cyril, Lawrence, herself, and Rachel. She thought back. The first

time, she had been ignorant of Cipher and their plans, the following

three, helpless to resist, stuck in a poké ball the whole time.

However, she could feel this was not the case now-she was sprawled

on one side, the surface under her moving. She was on some form of

conveyor belt. She was 53 Articuno, which was why she had been

Shadowed those last four times. They had once Shadowed a human,

the two Ashes first son, but late on and with difficulty. Her hybrid

nature had made Shadowing her easy. However, Julie reflected, she

was also 47 human, with the integrity, intelligence, and

unpredictability that brought. She was no longer helpless. Perhaps

she could use her human ingenuity to her advantage this time.

The movement of the conveyor belt had carried her beyond the two

speakers who she'd gleaned her information from, and now brought

her into the proximity of two more, who she guessed were scientists.

"This one's rather unusual, but special. We're to process her but

monitor the readings. Gorigan said the orders were given by Grand

Master Greevil himself. She's been put into Shadow four times

previously, according to Cipher records from five years ago, so it can

be done. Obviously someone rescued her and purified her those other

times. As this is a new method, we are to monitor the readings and

how she reacts. As this is a new method, there is a risk it won't work,

but the odds are that it will. If so, like XD001, she will never be able

to be purified."

Julie didn't need a university degree to work out that they were

talking about her. If this worked she'd be unpurifiable? This

knowledge made her sit up, wide-eyed. She had to escape NOW!

That, she saw, was going to be a problem. She was in a thickly-

barred cage, which was attached to the rubber of the conveyor belt

she was on. The machine was even now moving her towards a

menacing-looking black hole leading to the depths of some machine.

Looking around frantically, she saw two white-coated figures looking

at her. The two scientists, she assumed, who had spoken earlier.

"She's awake, and just in time." Said one of the scientists. She had

been correct: she recognised his voice. The other scientist simply

nodded in response, and pulled down on a lever. The conveyor belt

gained speed, and Julie could not hold back a screech as the

conveyor plunged her inside the menacing passage into the darkness.


	3. Rachel

RACHEL

Rachel surfaced with Lu. She had grown close to the little guy-no

longer so little-and visited him often, helping him seek out unusual

coral formations and check on the coral gardens around Shamouti.

Recently, Lu and his mother had been troubled, for one night Lu's

father had gone out, and had been captured by person or persons

unknown. Mrs Lugia had set out to rescue him, but halfway there his

mind had inexplicably closed to her, and she was unable to locate

him. He wasn't dead, she could tell that, she would have felt him die,

but she couldn't feel him anymore. Now they just had to wait, and

hoped he'd turn up, and that they could find out why his mind was

closed to her.

They had spent the entire morning tending the Shamouti coral

gardens, and Lu had left for lunch and a nap. Rachel debated whether

she should go down too and speak to Mrs Lugia, but Rachel realised

she was hungry, and decided she'd have to head home.

She couldn't even talk to Julie about it. She and Lawrence had gone

off ten days ago for a month-long journey to the Orré region. It was

safe now that Cipher had been driven out, and Julie and Lawrence

were hoping to explore the entire region without any nasty

interruptions.

Rachel had been too busy at Celadon University to have her wings

and tail removed. She was loath to have to spend two months

recovering from the surgery and then three months getting used to

walking normally again, so she had not had her tail and wings

removed, and in fact found swimming easier with them. Lazily, she

turned towards the land and effortlessly spread her wing-arms, using

them to stroke back towards Shamouti Island.

She heard the cry of a Lugia, and stopped, dropping to a vertical

position in the water and turning herself to face the direction of the

sound. It was too deep a call to be Lu's, although he was now ten

feet long from nose-tip to tail-tip, and had a fifteen-foot wingspan.

Gone were the days when Lawrence could lift him in his arms.

Perhaps it was Mrs Lugia. Perhaps she had news of her missing mate?

The sound had not come from under the sea or near the surface, but

from high in the sky. Rachel looked around, then saw a black spot

heading towards her, which began to resolve itself into a dark Lugia

silhouette. Rachel frowned. Lugia didn't usually look so dark, but

maybe he'd flown through some black smoke or something. Perhaps

Lu's father had managed to escape his captors and was returning.

She had been practising Lugia's cry for some time, and she raised her

head, giving quite a good approximation of a welcoming cry. The

black silhouette drew closer, and dipped lower, and then Rachel got a

good look at it, and gasped.

This could not be Lu's father! The colours were wrong, the soft edges

of the classic Lugia were replaced with sharp points and edges. The

mouth was open in what in a Lugia amounted to a snarl, the teeth

looked very large and white and sharp, but the worst thing was the

eyes, which glowed a demonic red. They were fixed on her, and as

the creature which superficially resembled the Guardian, but could

not be dropped down, Rachel threw herself forward and swam for the

island like she'd never swum before.

It was to no avail. She felt those wickedly-taloned feet grasp her back

and around the body, and screamed as the creature gave a Lugia-like

bellow of triumph. She felt herself lifted from the water, and beat at

the feet holding her, and screamed again and again. Effortlessly,

XD001 lifted into the sky, his burden hampering him not at all, and

flew rapidly back the way he had come.

When Lu, who had heard the scream and come to investigate,

reached the surface of the water, there was no sign of Rachel or her

abductor.


	4. Julie in Trouble

JULIE IN TROUBLE

Blackness ,a sensation of pressure, and a barely-heard noise. Flashes

of light disorientated Julie, and she could hear noises that sounded

like low whispers. She felt if she listened hard enough, she could

understand and hear what they were saying. Over this, she could

hear the voices of the scientists, muffled but still audible.

("_Beginning Shadow process_.")

She wasn't sure how Cipher effected the closing of the hearts of

Pokémon, but she had no desire to experience it either. She closed

her eyes, to black out as much as possible the disorientating flashes,

and tried not to hear the whispers, which almost seemed to be

speaking to her of not-feeling and not-caring. She was determined to

resist as much and as long as she could. Maybe she could come out

of it unchanged, or only partially Shadowed. In her mind's eye, she

visualised Lawrence. She thought of her love for him, and focused on

the image. She tried to concentrate only on that, to think only about

the image of him

(_It's not working as well as it should. It seems slow. _

_We were told she was different. This isn't totally unexpected_.)

and also focusing on the faces of the people who had confronted her

in Phenac and then abducted her. These people were enemies. She

focused on the image of Lawrence again. Lawrence. Husband. Lover.

Friend. Lawrence's face began to blur, and she concentrated again,

focusing on his image in her mind's eye

(_We're increasing the input now.)_

and sharpened the image. She risked thinking briefly of her abductors

again Enemies! then focused again

(_Interesting. She seems to be consciously resisting the process, look _

_at the brain waves. Increase the power.)_

on the first image, his lilac eyes, his blonde hair, that gorgeous smile,

and frowned as it blurred, and almost fragmented. With horror, she

realised she'd forgotten his name. The process was beginning to

work. But there was one word she could still apply in place of his

name, a word she still currently knew the meaning of.

Friend. 

She concentrated, seeing the now nameless face in her head. She

found that she couldn't remember her own name either now. Tears

welled in her eyes. They-an image of her abductors flashed in her

head-were not going to win! She saw the friendface again, tried to

concentrate on it, but cried out as it started to fade

(_We dare not risk any more power. Switch-off in thirty seconds.)_

and the blackness around began to encroach into her head. A purple

haze danced around the edges of her vision, even behind closed lids.

She struggled to hold onto the now almost transparent image

(_switch-off in twenty seconds_)

of the golden-haired person, whoever he was. He was special, that

much she knew. She felt a connection of some sort with him but the

image was almost gone now, retreating as the darkness in her head

increased,

(_switch-off in ten seconds_)

and closed in on her, and she clung to that last memory, his hair, his

eyes, his smile, as the darkness swallowed her and she screamed as

she lost her mental grip and fell into it.

(_Shutdown initiated. Shadow process complete. She's done.)_


	5. Lovrina

LOVRINA

Rachel had stopped screaming by the time Citadark Isle came into

view. A large shutter was raised, and the beast carrying her flew in

and set her gently enough on the floor, landing behind her and furling

its great wings. She was facing a small old man, his two bodyguards,

and two men and a woman with impossibly long pink hair in two huge

pigtails.

"What is this?" asked one of the men, peering at her curiously. "How

strange. A girl that looks like a Lugia. Does that tail work?" Rachel

had been determined not to answer him, but her anger was making

the tail twitch.

"I see it does." he said. He turned to the small old man.

"Well, Grand Master, I don't think you expected XD001 to bring back

a human Lugia. None of us did. What do we do with her?"

"You are human?" the woman asked.

"Yes." Rachel said. She'd been treated as a Pokémon once before by

unscrupulous people, and had no wish to repeat the experience. "This

is all surgically grafted. George is a very gifted surgeon. He now uses

his abilities for healing rather than changing."

"How fascinating." said the man again. He had "trouble" written all

over him, and Rachel considered him to be a thug. "However, we

cannot let her go, she's already seen far too much."

"Indeed." Said the old man. "But what to do with her?"

"I'll take her, Grand Master." The woman spoke. "I can so find a use

for her. I've never tried the process on a human before, and I would

so like to find out if I can use the process on humans."

Rachel began to back away. She didn't know who these people were,

but she didn't like the way they were talking about not letting her go,

and of using her for an experiment. She felt herself seized from

behind, and found two-white-outfitted figures holding her. Their

outfits looked familiar, and she realised these were just a variant on

the uniforms some of the Cipher people had worn five years

previously, and she realised she was in trouble. She looked

imploringly at the old man, but be turned away, waving a hand

towards her.

"Then she is yours, Lovrina. Make sure you confine her well, I should

be most displeased should she escape to tell people about us. He

looked at the large beast that still sat behind her.

"XD001. Go out and find another like you. Same instructions as

before, and bring it here. Eldes, Ardos, bring our latest guest up. I

want to see how she's turned out."

The woman, Lovrina, turned and walked to an elevator, indicating the

two Ciphers to bring Rachel with them. They brought her to an

elevator, and as the doors closed, she saw the great Lugia-like beast

fly through the space left by the once-again raised shutter.


	6. Shadow Julie

SHADOW JULIE

Julie's next conscious impression was that of a Pokémon released

from a pokè ball. Was she to fight? She stood and surveyed the

assembled people in front of her in a detached haze. The first ones

she saw were unknown to her. A small, frail-looking old man in a sort

of hover chair. Two men flanked him, one dressed in red, one in blue.

There was a man with a strangely-shaped hat and robes, robes which

reminded her of a face with blonde hair and lilac eyes and a smile. A

word associated with that image cropped up;

Friend. She couldn't remember the meaning of the word, but an

acceptable alternative cropped up.

Master 

She compared the mental face with the face of the man with the

funny hat and robes. Not the same. He was not her master. Then she

caught sight of two other people-faces that she immediately

associated with another, quite different word.

Enemy! 

She glared at them. the not-known people seemed to get on well with

the Enemy! People. Which must mean that they too were enemy! The

old man spoke.

"Demonstrate your ability. Shadow chill!" He threw a poké ball and

released a Rhydon. Julie spread her wings and did the requested

attack, but she didn't go for the Rhydon.

She went for them.

They cried out and ducked as she sent cold blasts at them. The old

man and his bodyguards darted out of a nearby door, everyone else

hit the floor and cowered. Julie let out a cry, looked towards the open

shutter. She ran towards it, leaping over those cowering on the floor,

spread her wings and took flight from the building. The room was

atop a tower, over a volcano, and she used the thermals and the

height to soar up and away, away from her enemies, away to rest,

and she'd hide, and then look for her master.

By the time everyone had assembled back in the room, Julie wasn't

visible any more.


	7. Rachel in the Cipher Lab

RACHEL IN THE CIPHER LAB

It was several hours later, and Rachel was feeling rather sorry

for herself. Despite her struggles, pleadings, cries, and protestations,

Lovrina and her two peons had taken her from Citidark Island to a

place Rachel had once visited five years ago with the Ashes,

Lawrence, Cyril, Julie and the Cipher fighters Seth and Yuki. It was

the Cipher Shadow Pokémon lab. It had seemed strange to her that

they had chosen a place that was known, but then, why build a new

lab when there was a perfectly good functioning one already in

existence? Obviously, Cipher felt confident enough to risk being

discovered again by returning to their old haunts. Perhaps this would

be their undoing, or maybe not, as she knew the island she'd first

been taken to by the Lugia-like creature wasn't known to anyone that

she knew of as a Cipher base.

Upon their arrival at the lab, Lovrina had ordered Rachel to be

sedated. She wanted her awake but easier to handle, and with the

two peons' help, Lovrina soon had her unable to resist, drugged up to

the eyeballs and strapped down to something resembling a hospital

trolley. Then she had taken cheek lining scrapings, skin swabs, tested

substances on her skin for any reaction, measured her, taken her

pulse and blood pressure, measured her breathing rate. They had X-

rayed her, given her an EEG and recorded the results, and taken

enough blood, it seemed, to bottle-feed a baby vampire. Then they

got her up, and, while she was still feeling woozy, gotten her on a set

of scales and recorded her weight and fat distribution.

"Okay, take her to a pen, and then we can so analyse these and see

what else needs to be done." Lovrina said. "It will be a so different

experience to see if this can be done."

The two had taken Rachel to a holding pen in the lab, and put her in,

locking the door. Rachel remembered these from five years ago too,

although she had been on the other side of the gate. She shook the

gate experimentally, but it wasn't budging. Looking at the sides and

the door, she saw they now reached up to the ceiling and were flush

with the floor. No way out under or over then. She put her hands to

her head and felt in her hair. She always wore a few hairpins, and

female Ash had shown her a few handy tricks with locks that could be

done with hairpins. Unfortunately, it looked like Lovrina was also

familiar with the multi-functionality of hairpins too, for Rachel could

find none, and figured Lovrina must have removed them while setting

her up for the EEG. Rachel said a word she would never have used at

home with the children around, something she'd heard her father use

when he didn't know she was there. Sitting down, she wondered if

she'd get out of this unscathed. Then she sat up, remembering the

old man had said something about "another guest." Knowing that

Lawrence and Julie were somewhere in the Orré Region, Rachel was

convinced that the "other guest" was either Julie…or one of her

children.


	8. Lawrence

LAWRENCE

Lawrence was playing-and winning-a game of poker with the

Pyrite hotel owner. He had already won five nights free stay in the

rooms they were staying in. Julie, he knew, was sight-seeing with the

children in Phenac City, and he was passing the time till she returned.

He'd already battled-and totally creamed-the people in Duel Square,

and the rogue at the entrance. He and Julie planned to take on the

Pyrite Colosseum-separately, of course-tomorrow. He gave a happy

sigh as he won their sixth free night at the hotel.

Then there was a commotion in the foyer, and the hotel owner

seemed glad of a reason to stop playing. He went out to find what the

shouting and crying was about. Lawrence followed, because he knew

those youthful cries, which sounded very distressed. It was his

children!

They saw him, and threw themselves towards him. He knelt and put

his arms around the lot of them. Their distress was evident to him in

more ways than one, because to people's surprise, it was sleeting

outside. It was June, not the usual time for sleet at all. He tried to

soothe them, but they wouldn't be calmed. In the end, he told them

to each tell him, one at a time, what had happened.

They all told the same story. Three men had approached them, and

they had each tried to go for one of the children. But from what they

had said, Julie had guessed their intentions and interposed herself

between them and the children, and had shouted at the children to

run or fly for it, to get away. She had blizzarded them then while the

children made their escape. Alan had circled back, hoping to help,

and had seen the biggest attacker punch their mother unconscious.

Amber had wanted there and then to fly down and dig her long toes

with their nails in a painful place, but Alan had managed to stop her,

fearful that she'd be caught too. The three attackers had bundled

Julie into some sort of transport vehicle, and headed into the desert.

Lawrence was just listening to his youngest, Lawril's report, when he

overheard a news bulletin. In it, the reporter claimed that Cipher

were back at work. Lawrence opened his mouth to let forth a stream

of invective, then stopped himself, remembering the three sets of

little ears in the room. He was convinced it was Cipher who had taken

his wife, and he knew what for. Shadow Pokémon had been

mentioned in the news article.

Lawrence got out his P.D.A and contacted Eagun. Perhaps his

granddaughter and Seth could help, but he said they were out of Orré

doing other things, he knew not what. Lawrence could only think of

two other people he could call. Cyril wasn't answering his P.D.A, and

Lawrence frowned, dialling the last number he knew.

"Hello, Lawrence, are you enjoying your holiday?" Male Ash asked as

he answered.

"I have a problem, I'm afraid." he answered, and related what he

knew to Male Ash. He looked grave.

"Look, book us some rooms, I'll contact Cyril and get him to take us

there as soon as possible." He said.

"I can't get hold of Cyril." Lawrence said. "He may not be able to

help."

"Cyril's contacted me." Male Ash said. "It seems Lugia went missing a

couple of weeks ago, and now Rachel has vanished. With the

information you've given us, I can't help wondering if Cipher might be

involved in kidnapping them too. I think Orré is as good a place as

any to start looking for Rachel, and perhaps for Lugia as well. Carol

and Melody say they'll ask all the Orange Islands, Mum and Professor

Oak will use their contacts in Kanto, Professor Elm will head enquiries

in Johto, and Professor Birch says he'll put some feelers out in Hoenn.

We can put the Officer Jennies on alert too. Orré is the only place

where we KNOW there's trouble, and so we'll come and help you look

for Julie." He said. "We'll be with you by nightfall." Male Ash signed

off, and Lawrence turned back to his still-distressed children.

"Help will be here by nightfall." he said. "Till then, all we can do is

wait."


	9. Lu in Trouble!

LU IN TROUBLE!

Cyril had been roused by Lu flying onto his machine and hammering

on the glass with his beak till Cyril heard him, and let him in.

"Rachel's missing!" he said. "I heard her scream and swam to help,

but she wasn't there!" Cyril went white. It sounded like Rachel had

been attacked. He called George and John, who promised to keep

their eyes open, and then called the Ashes on his P.D.A, who said

they'd ask around as well.

When he'd done that, he asked Lu to take him to where he'd

last seen Rachel. Lu was pleased to oblige, and could take Cyril to the

exact spot, being used to navigating in the ocean. Cyril could not see

any sign of Rachel or anything else having been there, Lu dived a few

times, but he too could find no sign, although the Shellders told him

of a huge shadow, and Rachel seeming to have been lifted out of the

water by something huge.

"I cannot think what that could be." Said Lu.

"I can." Said Cyril, wondering if someone else with a machine like his

and Lawrence's could have taken her. He would contact the man who

made them, and find out one way of the other if someone else had

stolen her as something of a novelty or rarity.

Lu noticed something high in the sky out of the corner of his eye.

"What is _that_?" he asked, turning to look at the sky. He began to

shake. "It's a Pokémon, but there is something terribly wrong about

it." He lifted his head, and warbled an enquiry towards it. It came

closer, and neither Lu nor Cyril could believe what they were seeing.

"Is that…a Lugia?" gasped Cyril. "It looks more like his evil twin

brother!" Lu had gone almost transparent with shock, his eyes wide.

"That's my Dad! But what's happened to him?" He warbled another

concerned enquiry. The Shadow Lugia hovered for a moment, and

looked at Lu. Then it struck.

With a speed they had not expected, XD001 dove and seized Lu by

the upper wings with it's talons, and seized the back of Lu's neck in

it's mouth. Lu screamed, and Cyril could see that the bite had drawn

blood. Lu struggled as the Shadow Lugia beat it's wings, bearing him

upwards. Lu's thrashing sent up waves that threatened to swamp

Cyril's boat, and Cyril could do nothing other than watch as he tried

to stay afloat. The Shadow Lugia easily drew Lu up, and as Cyril

watched, flew off with him. Cyril checked on his compass the

direction it was flying in, and traced it on a map.

If it kept flying that way, it would end up in the Orré region.

Grimly, Cyril headed back to land, to tell the Ashes this new

information. It looked like they would be venturing far again to

recover their loved ones.


	10. Rachel Gets Annoyed

RACHEL GETS ANNOYED.

Lovrina had returned, accompanied by the two peons who had

manhandled Rachel earlier, and in the space of half-an-hour had

found out exactly how to really tick Rachel off.

"My _name_ is Rachel." She stated, in response to something Lovrina

had said, not to her, but about her to one of the two goons. It was

the second time Rachel had made this statement, but Lovrina's

response was the same as the first time. She ignored the statement

as if Rachel had not spoken at all.

"I have so worked out how to do this, but it will so require much

preparation, which can be so started here. After that, XD002 will so

have to be moved to the Key Lair for the second stage of its

processing. It will so need to be processed more than once, but it

will so work in the end. Of course, adjustments and modifications

will so need to be made, as this is an experimental technique."

"I _told_ you, my _name_ is Rachel. You're heading for a pair of black

eyes if I get hold of you!" Rachel snarled. Lovrina turned, as if

hearing her for the first time, a small and unpleasant smile on her

face.

"Oh dear." Lovrina said, again not to Rqachel but to one of her

companions. "The subject is becoming so violent. It so looks like the

sedative we administered early is beginning to wear off. We so have

to administer another." Rachel glared at the other woman. She had

met Lovrina for the first time less than four hours ago, and had

hated her from the first minute of their introduction.

Lovrina nodded to her two peons, who moved either side as she

unlocked the door of the pen. They filled the entrance to stop

Rachel attempting to escape, then stepped forwards, one after the

other in quick succession, and grasped her winged arms.

"Hey!" Rachel exclaimed. The two peons bore Rachel backwards

until she had her back against the wall of the pen, pinioning her

there by her arms. She tried to kick out, until one of them used his

leg to immobilise hers. Lovrina entered, preparing a syringe which

she none too gently administered to Rachel in one upper arm, then

used another syringe to administer a sedative into a vein in her

elbow. As Rachel struggled weakly, Lovrina leaned towards her, and

gently placed one gloved hand on Rachel's cheek. Rachel bared her

teeth and tried to pull away, but found the sedative had robbed her

of the strength. Lovrina brought her face close to Rachel's left ear.

"Don't worry, XD002. I know you so want to fight, but not yet. Once

I've finished with you, you can fight all you want. However, you will

fight for us."

Rachel's eyelids sagged, and her knees buckled, and only the peon's

grips on her arms kept her upright. Lovrina turned her back on

Rachel, and walked out of the holding pen. Without a backward

look, she beckoned to her peons to follow.

"Bring it out to the transport vehicle. We are so taking this subject

to the Key Lair."


	11. The Rescue Party

THE RESCUE PARTY

Cyril had enlisted the help of John and the big Shamouti Ambulance

Helicopter he piloted to get them to Orré, leaving Martin on standby

for the island in the small copter. John had legally taken his

helicopter piloting and paramedic qualifications, and was a very

good pilot. Their first port of call was the home of the Ketchum

Family, where they picked up the male and female Ash couple, and

their eight-year-old son, also called Ash. Cyril took their seven year

old daughter Tobianna, and their two-tear-old son Alex to stay with

Delia and Professor oak, who were also looking after baby Ash's

four year old brother Derek. The two Ashes had decided that at

eight, almost nine years of age, Baby Ash was big enough to help

tackle Cipher with his parents to back him up. He had a few strong

Pokemon, and all three Ashes had a Charizard (or a Charmeleon in

Ash Junior's case.)

John waited until everybody was in before putting his foot down and

flying them to the Orré Region in record time. He would have

stayed, but had to get back to Shamouti Island to relieve Martin

and Karina, who were standing in till he returned.

Cyril, the Two Ashes, and their son met Lawrence and his three

children in the hotel. They brought each other up to speed with

news, and Lawrence, a good friend of Lu's, was rather alarmed to

hear of his kidnapping.

"So, we're missing Julie, Rachel, and Lu." said Cyril.

"Where do we start?" asked Male Ash. "By the way, our Charizards

are powered up, raring to go, and ready for action."

"Well, let's get in the machine and have a look from the air. For a

start, the children can tell us what way Julie was taken."


	12. Rachel in the Key Lair

THE KEY LAIR

Rachel was aware that she was lying on her back in a moving vehicle,

with Lovrina and the two peons sitting around her. She didn't know

how long the journey took, time seemed meaningless in her sedated

state, but she did notice when the motion stopped. She was roughly

hauled to a sitting position, half-dragged off the vehicle by the peons,

which roused her from her stupor a little. Stumbling and trying to

collect her wits, she was unceremoniously taken down a short

corridor in a pyramidal building that had strange and rather creepy

noises constantly going on in the background. It wasn't a long or

particularly complicated corridor, and it ended in another set of

holding pens, one of which Lovrina opened, and Rachel was led in, sat

down, and another injection given before Lovrina and her peons left.

Whatever the injection had been, it wasn't more sedative, because

Rachel didn't feel woozy or lose track of time or surroundings. In fact,

she began recovering from the earlier dose, and was feeling much

more alert when Lovrina came to see her.

Lovrina was alone this time, none of her peons in attendance, and

Rachel wondered if this was a chance for escape, or at least revenge.

She watched as Lovrina opened the door-which opened inwards- and

closed (but didn't lock) the door behind her. She crouched down- in

front of the door, Rachel noticed, little chance of escape there-and

regarded Rachel with her great green eyes.

"It seems I was perhaps so wrong to codename you XD002." she

said. Rachel sat up and stared at the unexpected statement. That

sounded almost like an apology. Lovrina blinked and continued.

"It seems I was so premature, Grand Master Greevil had another

whom the code name might have so been given to had the subject

not escaped. We are not sure what went so wrong with the

Shadowing of the bird-human freak, but with her escape, the

codename XD002 is so yours now." Lovrina smiled nastily.

Lovrina must have realised her words would annoy Rachel, but

perhaps she underestimated the strength of Rachel's reaction. After

all, Lovrina had no way of knowing that Julie and Rachel even knew

each other, let alone that they were close friends.

Rachel flew at Lovrina, knocking her onto her back. Rachel's right fist

impacted squarely on Lovrina's right eye. Lovrina recovered fairly

quickly, shoving Rachel off her with surprising strength, scrambling

backwards, and showing a fine sense of self-preservation, she slipped

out of the door and had locked it behind her by the time Rachel was

on her feet. She narrowed her eyes at Rachel through the pen's mesh

door.

"When your time comes to be Shadowed, I hope it will be so painful

for you!" she hissed. Her eye had already started to swell and purple.

Lovrina turned on her heel, and walked off in an obviously foul

temper.

Rachel was pretty sure that she had just made things more difficult

for herself. If Lovrina hadn't hated her before, she certainly did now.

Rachel still couldn't help smiling, because throwing and landing that

punch on Lovrina had felt so _good_!

Lovrina returned half-an-hour later with an obviously blacking eye and both of her goons in tow. Lovrina unlocked the door, and they rushed her before she could even think of escape, grabbing her and forcing her arms painfully behind her back and pushing her out of the pen. Lovrina faced her. 

"It's so time for your first processing. However, Gorigan would so like

to see you first." She turned, and the peons pushed her ahead of

them in her wake.

She was taken into a room where a conveyor belt fed into some sort

of mechanism, an ominous darkness looming within. A big man stood

by it, and as Lovrina approached, he turned, and Rachel recognised

him as the man who had questioned her about her tail on Citadark

Isle.

"Mr Gorigan, I brought XD002 to you as requested." She said.

Gorigan trained cold, calculating eyes on Rachel and nodded.

"Yes, Lovrina, I will be very interested to see the result of your

experiments." He turned so he was facing Rachel, pinning her with

his cold eyes again.

"It will be of scientific interest to me to see if the Pokémon stem cell

injections you have been and will be given will make this work. The

cells were imprinted with proteins that mach certain receptors in the

human brain tissue. They should lodge in your brain, and begin to

integrate with your brain tissue. This should make the Shadow

process begin to work on you. You will need several more doses of

the cells, and be processed several times, but I see no reason for it

not to work." He checked a couple of dials on the wall of the machine

and nodded. "Okay, Lovrina, you're cleared to process her."

Lovrina nodded to her peons. "Process the subject." She said. The

goons dragged Rachel forwards. She was struggling wildly, shouting

in protest. She didn't want to be 'processed', and was fighting as

much as she could, although she was at a disadvantage with her

arms pinned behind her. In spite of her struggles, the two peons took

her to the conveyor belt, and manhandled her onto it, holding her

down until she had entered the menacing maw of the machine head-

first.

At this point, she tried to scramble backwards, back the way she had

come, but the belt moved forwards faster than she could scrabble

back, and she fell forwards with a scream as the ground seemed to

drop from beneath her as the belt took a sudden downwards plunge.

When she emerged, five minutes later, the two grunts were waiting

at the other end. They pulled her out as she started to emerge, pale

and sweating, her eyes wide. Rachel swayed in their grip, then

seemed to recover her composure and balance, swearing at the

peons and struggling. She saw Lovrina approaching, and came out

with something unprintable to her, but Lovrina just approached,

signalled the goons to hold Rachel's arms as she reached up one

hand to turn Rachel's head to one side. Rachel jerked it away

angrily, but Lovrina just smiled, having seen what she had hoped to

see: a purple shadow beginning to colour Rachel's eyes. Lovrina

called Gorigan over.

"Look, it is so working, and after just one processing too." She said to

him. Gorigan came over, reaching out a hand to turn Rachel's head to

the front, something he did with ease despite her struggles. He

looked, and nodded.

"I'll give you the calibration frequencies so you can put her through

when you like as often as you like." He told her. Lovrina smiled with

glee.

"I will so make sure you get processed as often as you need to turn

you to Shadow." she told Rachel. "However, you now so need more

stem cells, and then a rest to allow them to take." She nodded to her

grunts, who forced Rachel down to a prone position on the floor and

held her there while Lovrina gave her another injection. Rachel was

beginning to feel rather like a pin cushion by this point, and said so,

but Lovrina ignored her.

"You will so be processed for the second time in an hour's time." she

told her. "Until then you have time to rest. I so know that you will not

rest naturally so you will be sedated again, but only a little." Again,

she gave Rachel another jab.

"Now, take my XD002 back to its holding pen to rest." she told her

uniformed followers. They nodded, and led the once again woozy

Rachel back to her holding cell.


	13. Lu in the Key Lair

LU IN THE KEY LAIR

As Lu was set down by his hideously transformed father, he shrank

back from the four people who had watched his arrival. There was

one in red and black robes with red hair, one in blue and black robes

with blue hair, one in cream to white robes with a strange headdress,

and the smallest of the lot, an old man with a cane in purple robes. It

was this last who spoke, addressing the twisted parody of Lu's father.

"Well done, XD001. This is perfect." Lu looked at the harmless-

looking old man, reached out with his mind to touch the old man's

mind, and recoiled as he felt a burning and evil ambition in the man's

head. The man, who had not even noticed Lu's mental touch, turned

to the man with the headdress.

"Snattle, take our latest guest to Gorigan, and have him processed."

Lu shrank back as the man with the headdress approached. He didn't

know what being 'processed' would involve but if it had anything to

do with what was wrong with his father, he wanted none of it. Snattle

reached out surprisingly fast, and scooped Lu up into his arms. Lu

squawked and tried to struggle, but Snattle's arms were pinning Lu's

wings to his side. The blue-robed man came over with a roll of tape,

and before Lu realised what he planned, he had taped Lu's beak shut.

"It looks like it could give a nasty nip." he said to Snattle, by way of

explanation.

Snattle nodded and walked towards the elevator. His grip was gentle

enough, but Lu was still scared, for he had briefly touched Snattle's

mind as he'd picked him up, and what he had felt was completely at

odds with his gentle grip.

Snattle took him into the hold of a boat, and a white-coated man had

had a low conversation with Snattle, and then Snattle had left as the

white-coated man had sat on Lu, stretched out a wing, and injected

him with something that made him woozy and tired. After that, the

white-coated man had called over two more people, who had picked

him up and put him in a sort of crate with hay on the floor as

bedding: they had then closed the crate. It was dark in the crate,

darker than Lu was used to, and he had never been so alone and

scared in all his life. His terrified whimpers had gone unheard for the

entire boat journey, and although when the crate was transferred to

a land vehicle he heard two people discussing his whimpers, nobody

came to check on him.

When they arrived, and the crate was opened, Lu had never been so

glad to see daylight. The two white-clad people who had taken him

out seemed friendly enough on the surface, and one even gave him a

few strokes and a pat. He didn't dare touch the mind, scared at what

he might find, but accompanied them meekly enough into a big

threatening-looking pyramid. They were met just inside the doorway

by a big-chested man with huge arms and a hard jaw, who indicated

that the two people were to bring Lu and follow. As they entered a

bigger room, Lu noticed there was a lot of noisy machinery. Lu was

unnerved by the strange noises and the sense of wrongness he got

from the machinery, his gaze wandering to where a conveyor belt

entered a menacing-looking black tunnel.


	14. Rachel and Lu

RACHEL AND LU.

Rachel's sedation was beginning to wear off, and she was beginning

to feel very depressed. She had had plenty of time to think as she

'rested', and it was obvious to her that Lovrina would finally get her

own way, that no matter how much Rachel screamed and struggled

and protested, she would eventually be turned into a creature of

Shadow, bent to the will of Lovrina and her twisted colleagues. She

felt like bursting into tears, letting her fear and despair out. It was

one small shred of resistance left that would not let her cry. She

might be powerless to avoid or avert the inevitable, but she was **_not _**

going to give Lovrina and her cronies the satisfaction of knowing just

how upsetting the prospect was to her.

As if her thoughts had summoned them, Lovrina and her two

uniformed cohorts came around the corner of the corridor and headed

for her cell.

Lovrina as usual unlocked the door, and the peons swiftly came in

and took her arms, She put up a token struggle, but her heart wasn't

in it, and they easily got her out. At that point, Rachel gave in,

hanging her head and going meekly with them. What was the use,

struggling wouldn't stop them doing whatever they wanted to her.

Rachel didn't know that Lovrina had noted the despair in Rachel's

eyes, and had spotted her lack of struggle, and was watching her

with a look of triumph on her face.

She led them down the same corridor as before, down to the

conveyor belt room. Rachel realised it was vaguely familiar because

she had been up and down it at least twice (three times if you

counted her initial trip in from the lab.) As she was taken into the

room with the conveyor belt, two things happened.

Firstly, the two grunts had realised she was not going to fight, and

had loosened their grip so they were barely holding her upper arms

anymore. Secondly, they had stopped because the machine was

being primed for a Pokémon ahead. Lovrina had chosen a bad time:

Rachel was in a queue for the processing machine.

Then Rachel noticed who was about to be processed: a very familiar

blue-and-white Pokémon, ten feet long and very scared. Gorigan

stood at the machine, calibrating the dials while the two peons

holding Lu lifted him up and placed him on the conveyor belt. The

terrified little Lugia shied and tried to pull away, but to no avail.

Rachel's apathy disappeared. They had Lu! She lunged forwards,

breaking Lovrina's grunts grip on her arms completely. She almost

knocked Lovrina over. Lovrina's huge green eyes got huger in

surprise. By the time Lovrina had reacted with a wordless cry, Rachel

was dodging around Gorigan and trying to reach for Lu, who had just

been aided into the tunnel by a shove from the peons who had

brought him. She realised she wasn't going to be able to reach, and

acted without thinking. She jumped, and launched herself towards

Lu, arms outspread to catch hold of him. Unfortunately her trajectory

and velocity served only to carry herself and him into the tunnel.

Hearing Lu's muffled cries of terror, Rachel did the only thing she

could think of. She took the tape off his beak, shoved his head into

her lap, and threw her arms around him, stroking and cuddling him,

hugging him tight like her mum used to hug her when she was woken

by thunderstorms as a child and was scared Zapdos would come and

bolt the house. Rachel was careful to avoid a large, painful looking

scabbed-over injury on his neck. She didn't want to think where he

might have gained such an injury.

"Close your eyes!" she cried to him, wishing she could do the same,

but she could not, as she was watching for the signs that they were

about to come out of the other end. If they fell awkwardly, they could

both be hurt. Rachel tried to soothe Lu, having to force herself to

resist the process that the treacherous cells in her brain were

responding to. She felt anger become strong inside herself, knew

what it meant, and suppressed it. **I will NOT get Shadowed in **

**just two processings!** she thought to herself. She felt Lu twitch as

he felt the same anger within himself.

"Lu, resist it! Focus on your family, your friends on the island, things

that make you happy! Fight this! They want to close your heart and

make you fight all the time for them!" She stroked and caressed him

on his back, between the plates, the sensitive place he loved having

rubbed and scratched, hoping to distract him from the noises and

images being used to close their hearts. She felt Lu relax, even as her

own fury continued to grow, and she kept it tightly under control, for

although she felt like lashing out, the nearest target was Lu, and he

had enough problems already. She had to get him out of there!

Looking ahead through the purple haze that was dancing around her

eyes, she could see what she recognised as the end of the tunnel.

"Lu! Get ready to land!" she told him. "When you do, look for the

door and just RUN, and fly, fly for your life as soon as you get out in

the open air! You remember it wasn't far into here, don't you? I'll be

right behind you, but in case something goes wrong and I'm not,

don't turn back for _anything_, just go and look for help!"

Okay. Lu responded.

Rachel felt Lu tense to land as they spilled out of the other end. As

Rachel had surmised, there were two hefty-looking grunts waiting for

them. As they moved forwards, unsure which of the two they should

grab first, Rachel turned loose the anger that had been building up

inside her throughout the processing.

With a snarl of rage, she used her body as a weapon, slamming it

hard enough into the first peon to knock him over. She heard him cry

out in pain and exulted in it. She threw herself at the second and

they went down in a tangle of arms and legs, her fists and feet

flailing. She saw Lu take off at a stumbling run for the door as

Lovrina and Gorigan turned to find out what the commotion was

about. Lu bolted between them too fast for either to react, their grabs

belated as he shot through the doorway and vanished from sight.

Both Gorigan and Lovrina about-faced and gave chase.

Rachel, in the meantime, was fighting a losing battle. Her earlier

sedation, combined with the disorientaion the processing had caused

her, combined to put her at a disadvantage, and when the first grunt

recovered enough to join his companion in subduing her, it tipped the

balance against her even more. By the time Lovrina and Gorigan

returned, two minutes after their exit and empty-handed, the peons

had her pinned down on the floor, motionless.

Neither Gorigan nor Lovrina looked very happy.

"She had better be worth all the effort and hassle we've been

through, Lovrina!" Gorigan said. "She's just cost Grand Master Greevil

his second XD001!"

"It is so worth the effort, really." Said Lovrina. She crouched down by

Rachel, who bared her teeth and growled at her. Lovrina grabbed a

handful of Rachel's hair and pulled her head up, twisting it painfully

upwards so Gorigan could see her eyes. "Look, Gorigan, her eyes are

almost totally in Shadow now. "I do so believe the process is working

oh so better than even I had anticipated." She pointed towards the

first thug Rachel had attacked. "Did that hurt? It looked oh so painful.

Were you bruised?" The peon nodded. Lovrina looked back at

Gorigan.

"Don't you so see? I do believe my XD002 has just done it's first

Shadow Rush! A few more processings and it will be oh so totally in

Shadow!"

She released Rachel's hair and stood up. "Hold it there a moment, it

is so time for its next dose of stem cells, and, of course, it will so

have to be sedated again. Later, I can give it the final dose of stem

cells, and then as many trips through the processor as is required to

break its will and complete its Shadowing. In fact, I think I so may be

able to make my XD002 so unpurifiable, just like my XD001!"

Lovrina prepared the now-familiar two syringes, administered them,

and then she and Gorigan, refusing to underestimate Rachel again,

took her back to her holding pen.


	15. Lu's Escape

LU'S ESCAPE

Lu could hear the sounds of pursuit behind him, and felt the anger

within him prompting him to turn around and attack his pursuers, but

remembering Rachel's instructions, he ignored the anger and

concentrated on escape. As he emerged into the air he unfolded his

wings, and used his powerful back legs to launch himself into the air.

He actually felt a rush of air, and a light touch, like of a fingertip,

brush down his tail as his pursuers, a man and a woman, grabbed for

him and only just missed.

Once airborne, his strong wings bore him aloft easily, and he circled

round as he rose, looking for Rachel who should have been following

behind. However, the only figures he could see were the man and

woman who had chased him walking back into the pyramid. He

searched for Rachel's mind with his own, and located it back within

the pyramid, and he almost shied, because her mind had something

wrong with it. Anger rose up within him again, something that he

found alarming, because he knew himself, and knew he was usually

slow to anger. He fought the impulse that rose in him to turn round,

go back in the pyramid and fight and draw blood to get to Rachel. He

again concentrated on the instructions Rachel had given him within

the dark tunnel. He recalled her last words to him: 'Don't turn back

for _anything_, just go and look for help!'

Lu was aware that he was in unfamiliar, and possibly enemy,

territory, on his own with a friend relying on him. He cried out, with a

warble of anger and fear, as he circled back around until he was

facing away from the menacing pyramid, and began flying straight

ahead, searching with his mind for human minds that he could trust.

He would have to be very careful whom he trusted in this strange l

and, and choose his allies carefully. He noted some mountains to his

right, and decided he'd avoid them. He could see where they ended,

and there was no need to go over them, which might slow him down

and tax his resources. He hadn't eaten since his capture, and was

feeling a hunger in his gut. On he flew, with the thought that Rachel

was relying on him finding somebody to help get her out. Surely he

could find somebody he could trust and who could help him rescue

his friend?

Then his heart leaped as he saw, coming into view ahead, an

unexpected, but very welcome sight.


	16. Julie's Flight

JULIE'S FLIGHT

Julie had flown straight, and soared and glided on thermals and winds

where possible to conserve energy in her search for her master. She

had instinctively avoided settled areas, although she had been unable

to avoid people entirely. Once she had been flying over a seemingly

deserted part of desert when what looked like an old railway carriage

came into view. Somebody outside had spotted her flying overhead,

and had dashed up a ramp into the carriage, coming out with several

people in tow who pointed and gestured at her. She had ignored

them, but this was just one of several incidents. Even flying over the

sea, she had been unable to avoid notice by people on boats and

ferries, and people swimming, or surfing on Pokémon.

She had a destination in mind, and had put all her energy into flying,

but the sun was setting, and she could not fly blind. She saw some

land to one side, and veered towards it, hoping to find sanctuary for

the night. Some parts of it seemed familiar, and some disjointed

memories flashed through her mind. She had been round here

before, but could not recall how or when. Not all the memories, which

made little sense out of context, were good, in fact a few were not

happy, but at no point did she feel any threat.

Silently she headed for a window in the old stables by the Ruins of

Alph, perched on the sill for a moment as she squeezed herself

through the opening, and crept inside, looking for a place to spend

the night, although first she would look for food. Folding her wings,

she headed down corridors, listening first for any noises from ahead.


	17. Rachel's Visitors

RACHEL'S VISITORS

Rachel was again in her holding pen, lying on her back, and trying to

collect her wits after being sedated. Gorigan and Lovrina had all but

thrown her back in once they brought her back, and had checked the

locks and hinges of both her holding pen's main door, and the hinges

and padlock on the feeding hatch in the other part of the mesh.

She had slept after the sedation, the day's events and time allowing

tiredness to creep up on her. She had woken an hour or two later,

with an awareness of having had disturbingly violent dreams, dreams

in which she attacked people and Pokémon, bit and clawed and

slammed against them. She had awoken in a rage that she knew had

to be down to the processing, and had fought to control it. She

recalled her bloodthirsty joy at hurting the grunt back in the

Processing Room, something she was unused to, and was so out of

character for her. She knew that this was down to the processing, but

since seeing Lu, she had decided she would fight rather than lie down

and give up as she had almost done before the shock of seeing him

had shaken her out of that dangerous depression and apathy.

She was aware that the effects of the processing were strongest for

about an hour immediately after, then seemed to fade just a little.

She didn't burn with anger as she had when she had attacked the

peons, though how much of it came from a determination to help Lu

escape she couldn't have said. She was on edge, and always on the

edge of her mind was a desire to hit and hurt somebody-preferably

Lovrina, or Gorigan, but if she was going to be honest, anyone would

do. She couldn't allow herself to obey that impulse, and fought to

keep it under her control. She would keep her own mind and live by

her own values as long as she could. Yes, maybe Lovrina, and

Gorigan, and whoever else was involved, would use their machines to

turn her to Shadow, and she knew that she could only resist so long,

but she would keep her humanity and dignity as long as she could.

There was also a possibility that Lu could find help and get her free

before that happened, but she wouldn't rely on that. She hoped for

rescue at some time, but had to accept that it was possible that some

time might pass before she could be rescued from this Shadowy

existence.

She was jolted out of her thoughts by the sound of footsteps coming

down the corridor. She turned her head to see a white-coated man,

obviously a scientist, coming down the corridor with two bowls, one

with water, and one filled with familiar looking brown stuff. He went

to the food hatch, opened it, and pushed the bowls through. Rachel

fought down the urge to leap for his hand and grab it, and preferably

bite it. She waited for him to take his hand out and re-lock the hatch

before approaching. Yes, the bowl was filled with pokéchow, and it

looked like the same cheap stuff George had used when he'd changed

and trained her. Looking up, she saw that the scientist was still

standing there, and regarded him with a mixture of curiosity and

distaste. She supposed he'd come to gawk at Lovrina's new

experimental subject, but as he noticed her looking at him, he put his

finger to his lips and beckoned her over.

Intrigued, Rachel went over to the mesh and stood near him. He

looked around to make sure there was no-one else coming, and

leaned forwards to whisper in her ear.

"I won't tell you my name." He told her "but I will tell you that I don't

agree with what Lovrina is doing. I don't hold with doing this sort of

thing to humans. I can't stay-I got the person who was to bring you

this to let me bring it instead, feigning an interest in seeing how

Lovrina's experiment was going. I can't release you right now, I'd be

found out, but I will return and find a way to release you. I don't

know when, but be ready." With that, he turned and went back out,

leaving Rachel alone, and with something to think about.

Perhaps she had a chance after all.

She settled down to eat the pokéchow and drink some water. As

unappetising as the stuff was, it was all that she was likely to get,

and if there was to be a chance of escape, she'd need to be ready,

and that meant not feeling faint from hunger or having a gnawing

pain in her belly. Carefully she ate half of what she was given, and

put the rest in a corner for later. After all, she had no idea how long it

would be before she was fed again.

Fifteen minutes later she had a far less welcome visitor. Lovrina, her

entourage of peons in tow, came down the corridor.


	18. From Rachel to XD002

FROM RACHEL TO XD002

Lovrina spoke directly to Rachel first.

"Move back against the wall." Rachel acted as if she hadn't heard. It

so happened that she didn't mind that Lovrina suspected she might

rush the door. She had no intention yet of trying escape, if

this man came up trumps it would be easier his way, but she didn't

want Lovrina to suspect something because she had become

compliant. Lovrina repeated her command, and then again, which is

when Rachel did move to obey. Lovrina opened the doors to admit

the peons, who took her arms and dragged her out. Belatedly Rachel

realised that Lovrina had come to process her again. She struggled,

and resolved to fight the machine's influence, for if she didn't come

out of this with some of her own will intact, her chance of escape

could be gone. It was no good if the man opened her pen if she had

no will or wit enough to leave.

Lovrina watched her struggles with a look of what was almost pity on

her face.

"My poor XD002, it'll be so okay soon, once we're finished there will

be no conflict in your mind, and you can so stop struggling and

fighting against us and begin fighting for us. By tonight, or tomorrow

at the latest, your processing should be oh so complete and all the

mental confusion will be so gone." Rachel's response was so strongly

worded that one of the grunts holding her actually blushed.

"Come now, so don't be like that." Lovrina replied. She spoke to the

peons.

"Let's go. Once she's been processed she'll have another dose of

cells, but let's so hope less sedative will be needed." She turned and

they followed her, bringing Rachel with them.

When they got to the processing room, Lovrina made a point of

checking the settings of the machine. Picking up a clipboard from by

the machine, she checked it, reading out a set of numbers from it,

and checking the gauges and dials, occasionally making a few

alterations to the settings and checking them through once again

once she had finished.

"Okay, we are so ready." she announced. "Process XD002 again!"

Rachel was once again pushed onto the conveyor belt, and held until

she was half inside the machine. In her desperation she almost

managed to scramble out this time, but a peon saw her clinging to

the edge and unpicked her fingers and gave her a shove into the

tunnel. Down she fell and she cried out, closing her eyes and trying to

stop up her ears. Unknowingly like Julie before her, she found this

had a limited success, the process building upon the work that had

already been done, and Rachel wept as she felt not just a rise in her

anger, but a lack of concern for things that had previously mattered

to her sweep over her body. She thought she could almost feel the

door to her heart being slowly closed up until there was just a small

sliver left open. She resisted, visualising a door in a heart being

slowly wedged open, and oddly enough it seemed to help, and she

focused on it. Now if only she could visualise it opening wider and

wider and opening completely….

She was interrupted in her thoughts as she fell head-first out of the

mechanism and into a net held by the two waiting peons. They

wasted no time in wrapping her in it as she struggled and fought.

Lovrina came around to see her.

"Oh so don't struggle XD002, soon everything will be okay." She said.

Rachel, to her surprise, found herself calming down and obeying

Lovrina's request. Even Lovrina was surprised.

"Oh that is so reassuring. I so thought there was a problem with

obedience in humans but maybe that will so sort itself out as the

processing continues. I so look forward to seeing what the effects of a

full Purification are on you. Maybe we can use you to help get that

bird girl. Greevil won't be so displeased at losing the little Lugia if he

can have her returned. Perhaps you might be our way to find her, our

bird-dog, or our bait." Rachel felt anger, but not as much as she

thought she would. Like everything else, Julie didn't seem to matter

so much to her now. One small part of her that did still care wept at

what she had become. Lovrina noticed the tears trickling down her

cheeks and knelt beside her, using one small hand to gently wipe the

tears away.

"Don't cry, my XD002. Your final processing or two should settle this

inner turmoil. I will so arrange for two more processings tonight for

you. By the morning, your mind will be focused, and you will so truly

belong to me-and to Cipher."

She ordered her peons to cautiously release Rachel from the net, and

helped her to her feet. She lifted Rachel's arm to give her an

injection, and she flinched away from the needle. Lovrina sighed and

instructed the peons to hold her still as she administered the jab.

"It was oh so too optimistic to hope you'd allow me to do this without

restraint. It was oh so premature. This last dose of stem cells will so

help. After your next trip through the processor you should be oh so

more compliant, and after the final one, so totally bent to my will."

She prepared another syringe.

"This should so be the last necessary dose of sedative, but I have

so reduced the amount for you. Such a strong dose is no longer so

necessary." She stretched out Rachel's winged arm again and looked

at it.

"I see some of the stem cells that did not lodge in your brain have

found elsewhere in your body to occupy. I so wonder if we can use

this to teach you some Pokémon skills? Even if not, it still means your

eyes are no longer the only indicator of how the processing is

progressing."

Rachel blinked, not knowing what Lovrina meant. Then she looked at

her wing and arm, then down at her legs in mild shock.

Her skin had gone a strange lilac colour.


	19. Lu finds some friends

LU FINDS SOME FRIENDS

The Three Ashes, Cyril and Lawrence's three children all stood or sat

around Lawrence's central chair as he programmed Julie's, Lu's, and

Rachel's stats into the mechanism's search function. He had kept the

search function, so he could locate and observe Pokemon, and also

still had his force-field mechanisms, though he only used these on

hurt people or Pokémon so he could transport them safely and

painlessly to the nearest hospital or Poké Centre for treatment. The

weapons mechanisms had been taken off-line, but could still fire

smoke or streamers on special occasions. Lawrence was glad that

when he'd had his machine rebuilt after the last one ended up getting

totalled on Lightning island that he'd chosen the more expensive

multiple search scanners rather than the cheaper option of one at a

time. This way, he wouldn't miss one while searching for the others.

The computer would search for anything that matched any of the

three sets of stats he had inputted.

His youngest, Lawril, had crawled onto his lap at the beginning of the

journey and was now curled up in a ball, asleep. He stretched, careful

not to disturb the slumbering six-year-old, and looked at the others.

"I'm afraid all we can do now is wait. Also, although the machine has

an infra-red searching ability, I doubt any of the three we are looking

for would travel at night as none excepting possibly Lu have any sort

of decent night-sight. I never thought to ask Lu if he had good night

vision. We will, of course, once darkness falls, switch the sensors to

night-search but we ourselves will have to hover-large obstacles such

as mountains would be detected, but the computer would not know

what to do, for example, about a large colony of Golbat flying by. If

the machine is stationary, it then gives them the chance to avoid us."

Cyril nodded, understanding but not liking it, The longer they had to

delay, the more chance that harm would come to the two women and

Lu. Just then, the computer gave a chime. Lawrence turned his

attention back to it.

"Attention, attention. Lugia detected." The computer's voice

announced, and a viewscreen stored in the upper reaches of the

control tower slid down and lit up. There on the screen, in the

distance, was a Lugia-shaped figure.

"Magnify." Lawrence ordered. The figure came into a closer view, but

was still indistinct, so Lawrence ordered another four-fold

magnification. There was no doubt about it-it was Lu, although there

seemed to be something wrong with his skin, or maybe he had

something on it or it was a weird light effect. Lawrence turned in

some lights, beaming them towards Lu and flashing them to let him

know they'd seen him. He dipped in acknowledgement, and everyone

aboard heard his mental cry of relief. This included Lawril, who was

woken by it.

Lawrence opened the bulb at the bottom of his machine, and gently

handed Lawril to Cyril. His youngest was good friends with Alex and

Tobianna, and was as often around Cyril's as he was at home, so he

didn't protest. Lawrence went down on the lift to bring Lu back up to

the control tower.

When Lawrence got down, Lu had just flown in, and he rushed at

Lawrence, who stared. There was definitely something amiss with Lu.

His main body was a light purple colour, and his eye horns and chest

markings had dulled down to a slate-grey colour. His eye horns had

changed shape too, they were more elongated and had extruded into

slim blade-like forms. His feet had also become more talon-like, and

his eyes seemed outlined with a faint redness.

LAURIE! cried Lu. Lawrence caught the little Guardian and put

his arms around him. Lu was shaking and Lawrence could sense that

Lu was very hungry, but was worried. He started trying to tell

Lawrence what had happened, something about Rachel, and Cipher,

and strange Pokémon, but Lawrence shushed him.

"Come upstairs, have something to eat and tell us all." he said. "If it

involves Rachel, Cyril will want to know." Lawrence drew back as he

felt a stab of anger from Lu's mind, but Lu immediately apologised.

They did something to me there, something that makes me feel

nasty and angry and mean. he explained. Thank you, I'd love a

meal, I'm starving, but Rachel needs our help!

"Well, she'll best get it if you're not having to ignore a growling

stomach while trying to tell us." Said Lawrence, taking the outer edge

of Lu's wing with one hand and leading him to the lift. "I'll put some

fish in the microwave on defrost, you can eat them raw, I know you

prefer them that way, and I'm sure I've got some Brock's Psychic-

type pokéchow you can snack on while it's defrosting."

Lawrence took Lu to his living quarters, and made him eat before

taking him on to the control deck. He noticed that someone-probably

Cyril-had put Lawril in his bed, where he slept, albeit a little fretfully.

Probably he missed his mum, Lawrence surmised. While Lu ate,

Lawrence leaned over and murmured reassurance to Lawril and gave

him a gentle kiss on his little blue forehead.

When Lu had eaten, Lawrence took him to the main control tower,

and when they got there, they found Cyril talking on his PDA and the

two adult Ashes playing chess using Lawrence's holographic and

touch-sensitive system, while the three children were huddled in a

corner at the far end of the room in some serious discussion.

Cyril was the first to notice them, and when he saw Lu, he swore a

lurid Shamouti-derived curse word, and as a consequence had to

hurridly explain to the person he was calling that he wasn't swearing

at or because of them. He managed to extract himself from the

conversation, and turned to Lawrence.

"Remember I told you about the Lugia that seized Lu? Well it was a

more extreme version of what Lu now looks like. Whatever they've

done to Lu's father they tried also to do to Lu."

Rachel said they were trying to close my heart and make me fight

all the time. Lu told him.

Cyril turned to Lu and said "Rachel? Trying to close your heart? Start

again, from the beginning, and explain what happened." The two

Ashes put their game of chess on hold and listened too.

Lu did so, and Cyril let forth with such a varied and inventive

catalogue of invective that he managed to go a whole two minutes

without repeating himself. When Lawrence reminded him that there

were children in the room, who had not yet overheard him but might

any minute, he stopped.

"It's Cipher again, isn't it? They have my wife, and who knows what

they're doing to her? On that subject, Laurie, there have been several

reported sightings of what I can only think must be Julie, because

every description fits except her colours."

"What do you mean, 'except her colours.' Lawrence asked, rather

sharply. "Julie is blue and white."

"Two or three friends have contacted me to tell me about a purple

and grey-lilac Articuno-like bird that has been seen flying over both

Johto and Orré." Cyril told him. He then turned to Lu. "Could you

project to Lawrence an image of what your father looked like when he

attacked you?" Lu complied, and Lawrence blinked.

"So, this process changes skin colour and appearance too? Then

whatever's happened to Lugia has happened to Julie?" Lawrence said.

"Lu mentioned that Rachel said that they were trying to close his

heart. If it's Cipher, it may be a more extreme version of the Shadow

Process they used to close Pokemon's hearts five years ago."

There's more. Said Lu in a small voice. When I left, I felt for

Rachel's mind. I found it, but there was something wrong. I think

they're trying to do the same thing to her. Cyril's heart went cold.

"Then we have to go find her. You can remember the way, can't you

Lu?"

Yes, but only in daylight. Lu said, turning to the screen.

Cyril's heart sank as he saw that it had gone dark outside. Now, all

they could do was wait till morning.


	20. Julie at the Stables

JULIE AT THE STABLES

Julie had found some packaged food, and eaten, then found a surface

to sleep on, but was woken before daybreak by the sound of voices,

and they were coming closer. They were discussing some children

they were hoping to bring first there and then take to a place called

Shamouti Island. At this, Julie's ears pricked up because that was her

planned destination, where she recalled that her master would

probably be. At that point, the two people entered and Julie saw they

were a man and a woman, who looked rather shocked to find her

there.

"What IS it?" cried the man.

"It looks like Julie, you remember Julie, Carl, but the colours are all

wrong for her." The woman said.

Julie screeched and geared up for a blizzard, but as she let fly

something odd happened. The woman put out her hand and an

invisible wall seemed to deflect the attack. It didn't touch either of

them.

While they were distracted, Julie slipped back out of the window and

took off into the sky. The sky was just beginning to lighten, and she headed off the way she had been going when nightfall had interrupted her journey.


	21. The Revenge of XD002

THE REVENGE OF XD002

Rachel had again slept, once she had been put back in her pen, and again the dreams had been of a violent and aggressive nature. Upon waking, she found that once again the effects of the process had slightly dulled. She was convinced that if she came across Lovrina again that she'd be able to resist the urge to obey her, but unless that man who had promised to get her out acted quickly, the next time she was processed would be the end of her independence.

Looking up, she saw a technician coming to clean out her pen, and wondered if she could take a chance on overpowering him and getting away.

He stopped and asked "Is it true? You're human?"

"Yes." She replied.

"Stand back, I've come to release you. The man from earlier couldn't come so he sent me, and said as a technician I had more reason to be down here than him anyway. I can say I was cleaning your pen out and you attacked me. I would eat the rest of your food if I were you." He said, indicating the pokéchow, and Rachel saw the wisdom of this, and while she ate, he talked.

"There are several of us who disagree with what we're doing in this outfit at different levels. Some of us disagree with the whole Shadow Pokémon concept, others of us just disagree with messing about with the hearts of humans. Anyway, we managed to get our hands on a Shadow Pokémon for you to get away, we've got a belt for you to put it's poké ball on, and we've managed to adapt a lab coat for you to wear."

He showed her a lab coat that had had its sleeves removed and the arm holes enlarged so she could get her wings through them.

"After all." He said "you can't wander about in nothing but a swim suit." Rachel looked down, remembering that she had been taken from the sea after visiting Lu.

"I was taken while swimming." She said.

He unlocked her door, putting the belt with the poké ball on it around her waist, and helping her on with the lab coat.

"The way out is that way." he said, pointing. "Just hit me over the head or something before you go, and they won't suspect."

Rachel nodded, and he checked no-one was coming before turning his back on her.

"Well, hit me now and get it over with." He said.

Rachel struck him hard over the head with the bowl that had contained her poké chow, but then she felt her anger growing and her self-control slipping. She hadn't realised that this would be part of the Shadow process and a small part of her cringed while the rest of her just responded to the anger and the hate and the urge to fight, as she used her body as a weapon and slammed into the man so hard he hit the floor. She fell upon him, and beat and kicked at him, and then bit and clawed. Then she threw herself off him and curled up in a ball, trying to regain control. She got herself under control, and checked him. She had knocked him out, left him with bite and scratch marks, and likely as not more than a few bruises, as well as a large lump on his head.

"Sorry" she muttered, and then headed out.

Rachel couldn't say why she did it, perhaps she got distracted and went the wrong way, or maybe she wanted to look at the Processing Room one last time, but she found herself going through the doors into the Processing Room. There was no-one else there except for a familiar pink-haired figure, who turned to see who had just come in. She looked surprised to see Rachel.

"XD002, what are you doing here?" she asked. Not having an adequate answer, Rachel didn't respond. "Stay there." Said Lovrina, then appeared to change her mind. "Wait. Come here, XD002." Rachel did as she asked, wondering what would happen now, and if she could use this to her advantage. Lovrina smiled.

"I so believe you've decided to come and have yourself processed. I recall I so told you it would solve the turmoil. Why else would you come here instead of escaping, though I will so punish whoever opened your pen." She beckoned Rachel closer to the conveyor belt.

"Come my XD002, you will require no more injections now, no more sedation, for you will have no other loyalties or concerns to trouble you except to me and Cipher. I will try other techniques on you, perhaps I can so make as close to a Pokémon out of you as I can." She held out a hand to Rachel. "Come, I will so help you on to the conveyor belt." Something must have shown on her face, for Lovrina frowned and said "Or do you not trust me?"

Here Rachel saw perhaps a chance for revenge. She reached out as if to take Lovrina's hand and said "Of course. I am your XD002."

Lovrina smiled, took Rachel's hand gently, and turned to lead her to the conveyor belt. That dropped guard was all Rachel needed.

She allowed the anger to direct her moves, slamming into Lovrina hard. Lovrina cried out as she tripped and fell against the side of the machine. Rachel was on her in an instant. Rachel managed to keep to a basic double eye-blacking, and gave Lovrina a fat lip in human fashion before the rage took over once more. Lovrina, now whimpering, tried to crawl back from Rachel, but Rachel cut her no slack, slamming against her again and raining blows onto her.

"Please, XD002, stop!" she cried. "Whatever is wrong, the processing will sort it out, I won't even punish you because I realise something hasn't quite gone to plan with the processing. It must be something about being human!" Rachel stopped, panting for breath, trying to gain some self control. If she didn't keep a grip, she might lose her chance to escape. Lovrina took Rachel's quieting down as acquiescence to her pleading. She reached up towards Rachel.

"There, my XD002, we'll so get through this, I'll check the data and make it so all right and I'll so find out what went wrong and correct it." Lovrina brushed the fingers of her hand lightly down Rachel's cheek, and gave a little shriek of fright as Rachel violently slapped her hand away.

"Touch me like that again, and I'll kill you!" Rachel snarled. "I'm a human, not some poor Pokémon who's helpless to help themselves! I can tell you EXACTLY what went wrong!" Rachel backed up, she could at least allow Lovrina to stand, and Lovrina, back to the conveyor belt, got shakily to her feet, staring at Rachel with tears in her big green eyes.

"You underestimated me, Lovrina, that's where you went wrong." Rachel threw herself on Lovrina again, who shrieked. As she fell backwards, she landed on the conveyor belt, Rachel atop her, biting and kicking and scratching. Rachel just happened to look up and saw she was dangerously close to the entrance to the tunnel. She had no desire to be processed again, but waited till the last minute, pinning Lovrina's shoulders down. Lovrina cried out as she realised where she was heading, and tried to grab for Rachel, but Rachel nimbly jumped aside off her, and she heard Lovrina scream as she went headfirst into the mechanism.

"XD002, help me!" she heard Lovrina cry as she dropped down.

"My _name_ is Rachel." Rachel called down after her. She looked around to make sure the noise had not yet brought anyone running-though if Lovrina continued to scream, it soon would- and then took off at a run for the doorway to the open.

Rachel was in luck: as she ran down the long passage away from the menacing pyramid, she noticed the two goons who usually guarded the door had been dealt with in some way: they were both out cold on the floor. She ran past them, meeting no resistance as she simply tried to put as much distance between the pyramid and herself as possible. She was no fool: she knew that she was likely to be pursued, but the desert she was in was a big place, and maybe she could lose them in it.

Meanwhile, back in the Processing Room, Lovrina tumbled out, sweating, shaking and rather green in the face. She put her hand to her head as it felt it was spinning. She tried to sit straighter, tried to sit forward and raise her head, but a lurch in the pit of her stomach made her realise that was a bad idea, just before her evening meal parted company with her stomach. Lovrina continued to be sick until she was merely dry heaving.

She put her head in her hands. She was bruised, scraped, covered in vomit and she didn't even have a tissue to wipe her mouth.

"This is so unfair." she whispered to herself.


	22. On the Flying Machine

ON THE FLYING MACHINE

Lawrence had decided, in the absence of any other course of action available that night, to try and start re-purifying Lu. He had taken Lu down to his living quarters, and found some scents left over from five years ago. He began rubbing Lu with them. Female Ash came down to give the message that Julie had been sighted over the sea, heading for the Orange Isands, standing back and muttering something about "stinky stuff" before making herself scarce.

Half an hour later, Lawrence had to admit defeat. He didn't know why, but Lu was not reacting to the scent massages. Whether it was something about Lu being a Lugia, the fact that Rachel interfered with his processing, or this new technique, he couldn't say. He decided to go and call Eagun on his radio to see if he had any ideas.

Eagun didn't know either, but suggested that Lawrence call someone who might, who's name was Professor Krane. He gave Lawrence the Professor's PDA number and, wishing Lawrence all the best, signed off. Lawrence sighed, got out his PDA, and called this Professor Krane.

He was lucky: Professor Krane was a very busy man, but Lawrence had caught him during a lull. He explained his problem, and Krane told him that he had found out that Cipher were trying to make Shadow Pokémon that were unpurifiable. They had already made the attempt with a mysterious Pokémon that they had referred to as "XD001". Not everything had gone to plan at first, and they had abducted Krane himself in an attempt to force him to help iron out the problem. Krane had refused point-blank to help and had soon after been rescued. He didn't know if they had succeeded in tweaking their XD001, but he felt he had to tell Lawrence as it was possible that this process had been used on Lu. However, Krane was convinced that if a Pokémon had a heart, it must be able to be opened. He told Lawrence about his special "purify chambers" and said Lawrence could drop by any time to see if that would help. Lawrence thanked him, and signed off.

Sighing, he added a trip to the Orré Pokémon Lab to the list of things to do. He hoped Krane was right, and that they could Purify Lu, because Lawrence could not bear to think that Lu might live the rest of his life in the half-Shadow existence he was living now.

He had one more call to make. Julie had been seen heading for the Orange Islands, and it was a safe bet that Shamouti would be the most likely place she was headed. He phoned George, and brought him up to speed with what had been happening and what he'd found out. He explained about Julie, explained that her colours may have changed, and asked him to keep a look out for her. Then he rang off.

Going back into the living quarters, he made up an extra guest bed for Lu, and two more for the Ashes and their son, and one for Cyril. He then settled the three children and Lu, and once they had dozed off, he went back to his own bed, which felt very large and cold and empty without Julie in it. For a long while he lay there thinking of the things they had to do and the problems they were likely to encounter. After what seemed a long time, his body and brain finally succumbed to sleep.


	23. Julie gets to Shamouti

JULIE GETS TO SHAMOUTI 

Julie gave a screech of triumph as her objective came into view. She flew towards Shamouti Island, giving the three other islands nearby a wide berth, she didn't know why but she needed to stay away from them. She dropped down so she could see features on the island, and began looking for her master, or a place she might associate with him. She flew over the island several times, landing briefly in the Main Square, at the Slowking's shrine, and a couple of sandy beaches that seemed familiar. She even went to the small uninhabited island with a hut on to look, but her master wasn't there.

On her final pass over the island, she spotted a hut that looked familiar. With a screech, she backwinged and landed in front of it, and made for the door.

Tobias was discussing this very situation with George, who had come to tell Tobias that a Shadowed and potentially dangerous Julie might be approaching the island. When they heard the screech, George went over to the window, and pulled back the curtain. When he saw Julie, he breathed in sharply, then turned to face Tobias.

"It's Julie." He said, holding back the curtain so that Tobias could see. "She's got here already, and she looks mean."

"I will answer the door." said Tobias. "She has never been harmed here, and has always been welcome here."

"Okay." said George dubiously. "If she gets aggressive, just back away slowly and try not to look threatening. If she breathes in deeply, get out of her way, because that means she's about to blizzard." Tobias nodded, knowing that having changed Julie and trained her, George had an intimate knowledge of what attacks she was capable of.

Tobias opened the door, finding the oddly-coloured Julie the other side of it, and though he felt intimidated by her blank stare, he smiled in what he hoped she would recognise as a friendly gesture, and said "Hello, Julie, do come in."

She blinked and hesitated, but the blankness in her eyes, which were glowing an eerie red colour, didn't change. Then she took a deep breath, and Tobias turned his face to the wall and flattened himself against it, as a freezing cold wind rushed through the corridor and iced up his kitchen. He felt something pass by, and shook off two inches of snow, turning in time to see Julie's tail disappearing into his living room. Concerned for George, he quickly followed her in, wincing as his feet sank into the layer of snow Julie's blizzard had created. He thanked the Guardian he only had rugs rather than carpet, and followed Julie in.

George had sensibly stepped out of her way, and was watching her as she studied a photograph on the wall. Tobias realised she was looking at a photograph Lawrence and Julie had given him as a gift not long after he, as Headman of the Island, had the pleasure of presiding over their marriage: one of their wedding photos. Lawrence and Julie stood in the centre, with Lugia, who had given Julie away, on one side and Lu, as the ring-bearer on the other. He himself stood next to Lu, while Lawrence's parents looked a little uncomfortable as the parents of the groom next to Lugia. Next to them was Cyril, as the best man, while further along, at the sides, Rachel, Donna, Fiona, and Karina were the bridesmaids. Mr and Mrs Faraday, George, and John were just regular guests, but such good friends that they'd been asked to join in the photo.

Tobias didn't make a sound as Julie raised her head from studying the photo to peer first at himself, then at George. Then she turned back to the photo, and he could see her comparing their faces to those in the photo, then returning her gaze to the images of herself and Lawrence. George moved over by Tobias and said "I think she's searching for Lawrence, and recognises us as friends of his."

Julie turned to them again, and George shut up, focusing his whole attention on her. She let out a little querying cry, and turned back to the photo.

"Are you looking for Lawrence, Julie?" George asked. She looked puzzled. "Lawrence?" he asked, pointing to his image in the photo. She gave a confirmatory chirp, and half-spread her wings in assent.

"If you come with Tobias and I, we'll take you to somewhere you can talk to him and see him, but he's not actually here at the moment." George took Tobias by the arm, and they made their way out into the hall. Julie turned, and began following them.

"We're going to the Poké Centre." George told Tobias. "We've got good long-distance radios in there, with screens, and I know Lawrence has a visual system in his machine. Let's just hope he's still in."


	24. Rachel finds the Libra

RACHEL FINDS THE _LIBRA_

Rachel was feeling rather unwell.

The adrenaline rush of fighting Lovrina, and Rachel's subsequent dash away from the pyramid had worn off. She was alone and without provisions in the desert, and to top things off, she was getting a headache and feeling sick. Rachel was unsure if this, along with the purple-black haze in front of her eyes and the memory problems, was due to dehydration, or a side-effect of the Shadow process, possibly a cumulative effect, as she'd had no such problems after the first two processings. However, she focused her attention on finding water and shelter as soon as she could.

A few minutes later, Rachel thought she could see something through the heat-haze that hovered over the sands. Was it a mirage? She headed for it, but as she got closer, it got more, not less, distinct. Ten minutes later, she could see it was a ship, though what a ship was doing in the desert was beyond her. She had found it just in time-not only was she exhausted, but night was falling. Had she been delayed even half an hour, she could have walked past the ship without even noticing it, and she knew that deserts got freezing cold at night, no matter how hot they got in the day.

There was still enough light available as Rachel approached the ship to read it's name: the _Libra_. It was broken into at least two large pieces, and she entered through a big hole in the hull. There were big boxes lying about, and with a bit of shoving she was able to make her way further up into the ship until she came out onto the top deck. The wheelhouse looked to her the best place to go, she might find water and a bed in there, but as she went in, she realised there was somebody already in there.

She started backing out and apologised; or at least she tried to. She seemed tongue-tied, just a steam of gibberish coming from her mouth. The man in there seemed to not mind though, inviting her in and offering her a cup of water. She went in and accepted it, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"I'm a hermit, I prefer to live away from people, but you need in look of a good rest and a bit of help. You can rest on that bed if you want, and I won't ask awkward questions, just don't tell too many people that I'm here." She nodded, not trusting her mouth yet. Giving him back the cup, she gave him a grateful smile, and lay wearily down on the bed.

The headache was already easing off, she noticed, and she guessed that that must have been due to dehydration after all. Stretching out on the bed, she sighed in relief, and was very quickly asleep.

The hermit watched her with a mixture of concern and curiosity. When she had tried to speak, she had made a range of sounds that made no sense. She could obviously understand human speech, and seemed mainly human except for the wings, tail and that bizarre lilac skin. Oh well, if she was able and willing to tell him when she awoke, she would, and if not he wasn't going to ask. After all he had promised not to pry.


	25. Julie, George, and Lawrence

JULIE, GEORGE, AND LAWRENCE 

Lawrence was roused from his sleep by the alarm on his radio. Going over, he saw the call number was that of the Shamouti Island Pokè Centre. He quickly answered it.

There on the visual screen were two faces he recognised instantly and one that he recognised from the features, but he was thrown by the colour. It was George, John, and…

"Julie?" he asked. Cyril had warned him that her colours had changed, but it was a shock to actually see it. In place of her beautiful sky-blue colouration, her feathers were now a purple-tinged grey. Her gorgeous green eyes glared a wicked-looking red, and the feathers of her chest had changed from a pure driven-snow white to a deep purple colour. Worst of all was her face: at first blank, her expression changed to an intent gaze. There was no affection in it, no happiness, just a skull-boring intensity.

Julie gave a little cry of recognition: again, not a joyful or contented sound, but more like the sound she sometimes made when successfully filling in one of the paintings Cyril occasionally persuaded her to try doing by holding a paintbrush in her clever toes.

"She came here just as you predicted she might, Lawrence, and we managed to work out that she wanted to speak-I mean to see you."

Lawrence noticed George catching himself, and asked "Well, tell me the worst. I should know what problems we might have in advance." George nodded.

"Well, the good news is that she recognises you, and can recognise pictures of you and people with you. She wanted nothing to do with us until she saw that wedding photo with you and us in, and she could recognise us from it. She can also understand human speech, although she has so far said no words herself, just birdlike noises. She appears to have no emotions, nor recall anyone other than you from before her kidnap, and we're not sure in what light she views you. However, I think if you gave her an order, she would carry it out."

"Okay." said Lawrence. "Judging by her colour change, she and Lu have probably been through the same process, which appears to be Cipher's attempt to produce an unpurifiable Shadow Pokémon. Now I have spoken to somebody who may have a solution, a Professor Krane. We have Lu, and you have Julie, but Rachel is still missing, and we have got to find her, because from what Lu says they are not only trying this new technique out on her-though the Guardian only knows why-but they are at least partially successful."

He looked directly at Julie. "Julie." He said. She didn't respond.

"I'm not sure she recognises her name." George said. "She recognised your face but not your name, so maybe she doesn't know hers. I'll keep explaining that it's what she's called." Lawrence nodded.

"Okay." He tapped the screen to get Julie's attention, and continued speaking.

"Your name is Julie, and you will respond if anyone calls you." he said. "You will also stay where you are, with George and Tobias, and I will come and get you. I won't be coming today, and maybe not tomorrow, but I WILL come and get you. So stay with them and do as they say." He said. Julie squawked an acknowledgement.

"I'll look for Rachel and return once I find her." He told George. "Look after till I get back."

"I will." said George. "Come on, Julie, we have to go." George told her.

With a last look at the screen, she turned and followed George and Tobias out.


	26. What sort of a name is

"WHAT SORT OF A NAME IS…."

Rachel awoke with a feeling that something was distinctly wrong. She had been dreaming of her time in the Key Lair-hardly surprising considering she had spent who knew how much time there-particularly of her fights with Lovrina and the others she had attacked. She supposed the first anomaly was that the violent content of the dreams no longer bothered her.

A movement to one side caught her attention and she tensed, then calmed herself down as she realised it was the hermit, though one part of herself, which she strongly resisted, wanted to attack him.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked. "You slept the whole night although you seemed terribly restless. You were tossing and turning and making these odd noises all night, but whenever I checked, you seemed to be deeply asleep." She opened her mouth to tell him she was fine, and that's when something else struck her.

She could understand what he was saying, knew what she wanted to say back, but couldn't remember or work out how to speak. She was able to do one of her passable Lugia calls, but somehow, despite the fact that she had been talking until very recently, she was now unable to speak. She closed her mouth and threw up her arms in frustration.

"Hey, don't get worked up." he said, not knowing why she was so frustrated. "Not feeling so good then? Would you mind letting me know your name? I can't just call you "you."

She was wondering, without the power of speech, how she could tell him. She wondered if she could write it, and found a pen and paper, She put pen to paper, and got ready to try to write. That's when Rachel realised the third, and in some ways, the most distressing thing.

She was unable to remember her name.

She snarled and thumped the bed a few times, then turned back to the pen and paper. She may not be able to remember her name, but she had been called something else recently, and it was better than nothing.

Picking up the pen, she scrawled something on the paper, then threw the pen down violently, stood, turned, and looked at the hermit. He went over to the paper, and picked it up, reading what she had put. He looked up at her.

"I can't call you that!" he said. "What sort of a name is XD002?"


	27. Lawrence and Co at the Key Lair

LAWRENCE AND CO. AT THE KEY LAIR

After his conversation with George, Lawrence realised the sun was up and that Lu was waking. This pleased him. The sooner they could start searching for Rachel, the better. He went up to his control tower in his chair, with Lu curled up by his feet, and wiped the search parameters of the stats for Lu and Julie. The search mechanism would now only search for something matching Rachel's stats. Then he took Lu back down and opened the bulb for him to fly out. Lu complied, flew in a circle to get his bearings, then set off decisively in the direction he had come from. By this time, Lawrence was back in his control tower, and set the machine in motion behind him.

Cyril came up via the stairs from the living quarters, luxuriating in a jaw-cracking yawn and a full-bodied stretch. He looked drawn and tired, and Lawrence guessed that he'd probably been awake most of the night worrying about Rachel. He sat himself wordlessly down in one of the seats Lawrence had had installed next to his chair and watched Lu flying ahead.

An hour later, everyone was up and dressed, and watching as a black pyramid, with smoke venting from near the top, came into view. They didn't need Lu to tell them that this was the place. There was just enough room on the round area just in front of the pyramid to land the machine. Everyone checked that they had their poké balls and that their Pokémon were fully healed, and they went in.

They met very little resistance, as there were mainly workers running around. One near the entrance bemoaned the theft of a Shadow Dragonite, describing the thieves, one who sounded suspiciously like Miror. B, but after searching the complex from top to bottom, they were finally told by a very bruised and sore-looking technician that he had released Rachel. He knew she had been through at least one processing, and probably more.

"She had this weird light purple skin, you see, and she beat me up pretty good. I only invited her to hit me once, hard enough to knock me out, and she did me over! I think that's something to do with the process."

"Closing the hearts of Pokémon in that manner makes them do nothing but fight." Said Female Ash, who had dug out her old notes about Shadow Pokémon before they'd joined Lawrence, and re-read them. Professor Krane had also sent Lawrence some copies of memos he made via PDA, which Lawrence had given to Female Ash. She was currently their expert on Shadow Pokémon, and had used Lawrence's auxiliary computer to search the Pokénet for any more facts, theories or speculations on Shadow Pokémon on the way to the pyramid.

"Well, I suppose we had best go back to the machine and continue searching, because she's not here." Said Lawrence. "We're right back to Square One."

"There's one good side to all of this." said Cyril. "At least she's alive, and free. Cipher don't have her any more."


	28. A Sandshrew joins the team

A SANDSHREW JOINS THE TEAM

Rachel had left the hermit, after taking out her frustration on the wall of the wheelhouse. The hermit had been rather concerned that she was going out into the desert again when he saw her leave, and went after her.

"If you're going out into the desert, at least take this." He said, giving her a poké ball. "I found it down below, and if you see a Sandshrew, you might be able to catch it. If you do, they can dig for water-they can detect it, you know." He showed her a sketch he'd made of a Sandshrew, and she took it from him.

She had accepted the poké ball, and gone deeper into the ship, taking out some more of her frustration on one of the crates, which were marked POKÉ FOOD. It split open, and Rachel went down on hands and knees to eat as much as she could. Her head still ached abominably, and her memory had got worse. She could now no longer remember the name of that hateful pink-haired woman, or the organisation she belonged to.

She found a Sandshrew before the ship was even out of sight, and quite by accident. She disturbed it while going around a large boulder, and it growled and got ready to fight. Almost before she realised what she was doing, she attacked it, and it rolled back, looking dazed. She fought for control of her emotions and actions, and won, then remembered the poké ball she was holding. She threw it, and it rocked a few times, and then lay still. She picked it up, a bit confused, and let the Sandshrew out, for she was now thirsty.

"Find water." She told it.

It squeaked and began to sniff around. About ten feet out, it stopped and began digging. Rachel went over to watch. About two foot down, some muddy water began seeping into the hole, and with a few more swipes of its powerful forepaws, the Sandshrew had a respectable amount of water seeping into the hole. Rachel gently moved it aside, and drank the water, ignoring the gritty taste of the water. Once she had finished, she allowed the Sandshrew to drink it's fill, then put it back in it's ball, placing it on the belt next to the ball already there. She frowned. She'd forgotten about the first poké ball. She'd have to stop at some time and find out what it was. Perhaps she'd get it out for a look at her next rest.

She moved on, not realising or remembering that to get the Sandshrew to look for water, she'd spoken to it.


	29. Desert search

DESERT SEARCH

Upon inspection of the area around the Key Lair, Cyril found evidence of disturbed sand, and in the absence of anything else, the group decided to search in that direction for the next hour or so. If they found nothing, they'd double back and search in another direction. It boded well, for the direction was in a direct straight line from the exit to the Key Lair, and if Rachel had fled by instinct alone, she would have headed straight.

At least they knew it was unlikely that she'd headed off to the back of the Key Lair, both for the awkwardness that would give someone possibly running from people, and the fact that behind the pyramid was a sheer drop.

Lu offered to fly wide and look for her, and the two Ashes offered to fly-by on their Charizards to look, which doubled the amount of ground they could cover, so Lawrence agreed. Cyril joined them not long after, on the back of his own Charizard, and even Baby Ash got in on looking, after trading a Mr. Mime he'd caught in the Pallet town grass with Cyril for a spare Aerodactyl Cyril had. After an hour, they hadn't yet found Rachel, but they did find a mot unusual sight-a broken ship lying in the sand. They landed, intrigued, and went to investigate.

"That's the _Libra_!" Lawrence said, upon seeing the ship's name. "It was a luxury cruiser full of Pokémon. I heard it went missing without a trace, but how did it end up _here_?"

"I don't know, but if Rachel's inside, neither your instruments nor our eyes will detect her. Let's go searching for her inside. She might have taken shelter here." Female Ash said, as the four riders recalled their Pokémon, and Lu landed in a flurry of sand.

Cautiously, they approached the hole in the side of the ship, and carefully worked their way through the ship. They found one broken open crate of pokéchow, one Cyril recognised the name of.

"I would have thought the people on this ship would have invested in Brock's, if it was meant to be a luxury cruise, not that lousy Poké Food stuff!" he said. "Poké Food's pokéchow is nutritionally balanced, but had a rotten texture and only comes in one flavour." He said disparagingly. Lawrence nodded.

"Some of this has been eaten, but that doesn't necessarily mean that Rachel has been here." He said.

They finally came out on the main deck, and somebody came out of the wheelhouse.

"I'm sure getting a lot of visitors these days!" he grumbled. "First those sinister toughs, then that pokey-headed ginger kid, then that weird girl, and now you!"

"Weird girl?" asked Lawrence, putting his hand on Cyril's arm, for he could sense him bristling up over what was possibly a careless description of Rachel.

"Yeah, she was here just a couple of hours ago." He told them. "She had this weird lilac skin, wings on her arms, funny shapes over her eyes, and a tail. And oh yeah, she couldn't talk and didn't even tell me a proper name." He said.

Cyril took two pictures of Rachel he carried with him out of his wallet. One was just a head and shoulders shot, the other a front-facing shot of Rachel in a dress he'd given her, taken not long after they'd met, and handed them to the hermit.

"Did she look anything like this?" he asked. The hermit looked at the pictures.

"Yes, except her skin was this strange light purple colour." He said. "She took off into the desert, heading that way." he said, going to the rail and pointing.

"If she keeps going that way, she'll hit Phenac City eventually." said Lawrence.

"I hope she makes it that far. She's alone in the desert, and I doubt she had any water with her." Cyril said worriedly. "We'd best start looking right away."

"I did give her a poké ball and advise her to get a Sandshrew, but she didn't seem all there, so whether she did or not, I don't know." he told them. "I also gave her a glass of water when she got here, and one when she woke up."

"Okay, thank you." Said Cyril, taking back his photos. He looked at the Ashes. "We can go from here." he said, releasing his Charizard and climbing onto its back. The two Ashes did likewise, and Baby Ash was back on his Aerodactyl before anyone could suggest he do likewise. Lu spread his wings and readied himself to take off. Lawrence closed his eyes and braced himself as the three Charizards, Lu's and the Aerodactyl's wings beat up a storm and took off. When the air and sand had settled, Lawrence made his way back to his machine the slow way, as he had no flying Pokémon or teleporting Pokémon on him. He too thanked the hermit, and walked back through the ship.


	30. Rachel in the desert

RACHEL IN THE DESERT

Her little Shadow Pokémon was a Treecko. Rachel had opened the other poké ball while her Sandshrew was burrowing for water again. Rachel was hoping that it'd find at least as much water as before, if not more, because her skin was getting dry, itchy and painful. The thought of some soothing water on it was comforting. She checked the Treecko-it was a female-and put it back in it's ball because she had to contain an urge to fight it while it was out. She damned the Shadow process in the depths of her mind.

Replacing the poké ball on her belt, she went over to see how the Sandshrew was getting on. It had struck plenty of water, she was glad to see, and she drank thirstily, and then started slathering the sandy water on her skin. It seemed to ease the itching and pain for a while, but it wasn't long before the itching returned, stronger than ever. Annoyed, she began scratching to relieve the itching, and was surprised to find her skin was peeling. Did sunburn happen this quickly? She thought the peeling occurred between a day and a week depending on the severity of the burn, except in very extreme cases, and her skin didn't even look red-though with the lilac colouration, she couldn't be sure.

She looked at the area where the skin had peeled. Was it her imagination, or was the skin beneath a paler shade of mauve? Then she shook her head. Did it really matter?

She sat down and gave her skin a good scratching, the Sandshrew tentatively helping give her legs a scratch, and she brushed away all the sloughed skin. Rubbing her eyes, she hoped that this abominable headache would go soon. This could not be due to dehydration, for she had drank her full at both water holes the Sandshrew had discovered, and it had made no difference.

All of a sudden, she felt a wave of dizziness pass over her, followed by a wave of nausea, followed by an irresistible sleepiness. She managed to call her Sandshrew back to its ball, and then drag herself into the shade of a nearby rock before she descended into another dream-infested sleep.


	31. We've found her!

"WE'VE FOUND HER!"

Lawrence sat in his machine, waiting and watching for any sign of Rachel. He wondered exactly what they would find if and when they came upon Rachel, and worried about finding a way to reverse it. He recalled that Female Ash's son had been the subject of a similar experiment five years previously, and they'd had to use cologne on him. However, he had not changed colour, and that suggested that the process used on Rachel differed from that which had been used on Baby Ash. Also, if Lu's example was anything to go by, cologne wouldn't work on her either.

At that moment, he heard an excited mental cry from Lu: We've found her!" He also sent Lawrence a mental image of Rachel, lying on her side by a rock, lilac-hued, wearing some sort of white coat and apparently out cold. He heard Lu call the others, and then Lu said Female Ash has got here, I'll come back and guide you to where Rachel is.

A few minutes later, Lawrence saw Lu, and followed him, to where everyone else was grouped around Rachel. Cyril had her head and shoulders in his lap, and was trying to slowly trickle water from the cap of a little bottle he had into her mouth. Lawrence went down in the lift, stopping off in the living quarters to grab an umbrella and a blanket. And went over as Cyril found Rachel's hand under one wing and checked her pulse.

"It's regular, but a little fast." He told them, as Lawrence draped the blanket over her and opened the umbrella to give her some shade.

Cyril put his hand to Rachel's forehead.

"I think she has a fever, but it could be the desert heat." He said. "I'd like to get her into the machine?" He looked at Lawrence who said "That's fine by me. I'm a bit bigger than you are, so I think I'll find it a bit easier to carry her, what with her wings and tail and all."

I'm ten foot long from nose to tail, and my wings could support hers. Lu said. Put her on my back, and I'll walk back to the machine with her.

Everyone saw the wisdom of this, and Lawrence, Cyril and Female Ash helped lift Rachel onto Lu's back, settling her carefully between Lu's back plates. Lu spread his wings as they lowered Rachel's wings onto them, and Baby Ash stood at Lu's tail end, supporting Rachel's legs and tail with his hands. Lu walked, a bit slower than usual, towards the machine, while Lawrence kept pace, keeping her shaded with the umbrella.

Once they had gone up in the lift, Lawrence and Cyril transferred Rachel into a bed. Cyril stayed by Rachel's side to look after her, while Lawrence went back into the control tower to set course for Shamouti Island. He hoped Rachel's condition would improve on the way to the island. With luck, they could pick up Julie, and then make their way back to the Orré Pokémon Lab, to see if Professor Krane could offer them any help in deShadowing Julie, Lu, and Rachel.

Lawrence wondered what they could do if Rachel's condition showed no improvement, or, worse, began to deteriorate. There was no precedent for this, so Lawrence had to accept that anything could happen.

Similarly, he had no idea how Julie's human half might react to the process.


	32. Cyril, Rachel, and her Pokemon

CYRIL, RACHEL, AND HER POKÉMON

Two hours later, Rachel was awake.

This was an improvement on being unconscious, although Cyril had been alarmed when her first action upon opening her eyes and seeing him had been to throw herself at him, biting, kicking, clawing, and screaming. He had clung to her, bear-hugging her to protect himself, stroking her back with one hand and talking to her, telling her to calm down, it was all right, she was safe, she was with him. She had calmed some, and stopped attacking him, and cautiously he had released her and lain her back down. Her eyes had shown some sort of recognition, and she had quieted and lain still.

Putting his hand to her forehead, he could tell she definitely had a temperature, and as there were no children around, he muttered in graphic detail exactly what punishments he'd like to exact on the Cipher people who had done this to her. Stroking her dry face, he brushed away the peeling skin he encountered, moistened a flannel Lawrence had provided, and wiped down her face.

Cyril reached for the poké balls on the belt that he had removed from Rachel's waist, and opened them. His Shadow-sight enabled him to see that the Treecko was a Shadow Pokémon, so probably had not got to trust Rachel yet, but the Sandshrew was not Shadowed, so he put it by her side, where it curled up against her, resting it's head on her stomach.

Cyril got his rucksack, which contained Rachel's poké balls, and released her team, which had been with her for years and were very fond of her. Her Cloyster carefully took her winged hand in it's shell, her Charizard (the offspring of Cyril's and Lawrence's Charizards) lay it's head beside her, her Venusaur took her other winged hand and lovingly wrapped it in it's vines. Her Pikachu (originally a Pichu, again from Cyril) curled up on her legs. Cyril released her two last Pokémon, an Espeon (from an egg laid by Cyril's female Flareon), and a Murkrow (gifted to her by George and Donna, from their mated Murkrow pair). The Espeon leaped lithely up onto her bed and curled its body around her head, resting its nose in the hollow of her throat, and her Murkrow (which had spectacularly hatched shiny) landed on her chest and nestled there. Cyril hoped the presence of her Pokémon would calm her.

The exertions of the search had also taken their toll on Lu, who was curled up asleep on Lawrence's big bed. He flinched occasionally, his wings twitching and his head and tail thrashing as if in response to something. Cyril went over to Lu for a moment, and stroked his head.

Lu's response was swift, unexpected, and alarming. He shot up from the bed with a bellow, and Cyril found himself on his back on the floor. Lu landed beside him, wings spread, and drew his head back with his mouth wide open. Cyril was put in mind of a cobra about to strike.

Cyril put his hands out as Lu's head darted forward, and rolled out of the way. He watched Lu, ready to roll out of the way further, but Lu was staring at him with wide eyes, dropped his head, and gave a shamed whimper.

I'm sorry! I shouldn't have attacked you. You're my friend! he said.

"I guess I shouldn't have startled you while you were asleep and dreaming." said Cyril, getting to his feet. He got up and went over to Rachel, who had sat upright.

"It's okay, lie down." He said in a soft, soothing voice, the one he usually used with new and timid Pokémon. She did so, and the Pokémon she had displaced took up their former positions on and around her. Lu also came over, lying down by the side of her bed and closing his eyes again.

Pulling a chair over, Cyril sat down, and continued his lonely vigil.


	33. Return to Shamouti Island

RETURN TO SHAMOUTI

Their journey took some time, and as a result they did not reach Shamouti Island until it was almost dark. Lawrence landed the machine, and had to restrain himself from going down in the lift till everyone else was on it. Once the lift went down, neither he nor Lu showed any restraint, Lawrence leaping from the lift when it was still a couple of foot from the ground and setting off at a run towards the Shamouti Poké Centre, Lu making for the nearest bit of sea. Cyril winced, wondering what Mrs Lugia would say at the state of Lu. Cyril was carrying Rachel in his arms, and fancied that being with her Pokémon had helped her. She seemed to show some recognition of him, and had once briefly reached out for him when woken by a loud noise. Cyril carried Rachel into their house, the three Ashes and Lawrence's three children following, and he sat her in an armchair, leaving the sofa to the Ashes. He went out to prepare fruit juice for them, as they waited for Lawrence, Julie, and hopefully Lu, to return.

Lawrence burst into the Shamouti Poké Centre at a run. John was on duty at the desk and immediately waved Lawrence over, flipping up one part of the counter to let him through. In the back room sat Julie, with George and Donna by her side. George was giving her something to drink, while Donna was giving her feathers a wipe down with a damp cloth. Julie saw him before George or Donna, giving a little cry and standing up.

Lawrence went over to her, not allowing her altered colouration or the red of her eyes to disconcert him. He opened his arms and pulled her to him in a hug. She didn't respond in any way, and when Lawrence released her, merely gave him a slightly puzzled look. Lawrence sighed, and said "Julie, come with me." As he turned to leave, she dutifully followed. He took her to Cyril and Rachel's house, and took her into the front room to join the others.

Rachel spotted her as she came in, and she stood up, and reached out towards her. This was significant, because it meant that she recognised Julie. As she had shown no recognition of Cyril or anyone else before, it was a good sign.

It was Julie's reaction that was not good. She stared at Rachel for all of three seconds before pulling back her head, half-opening her wings, and drawing a deep breath.

Lawrence noticed it in time. "Julie, _no_!" he said. She relaxed, folding her wings again, although it appeared that Rachel had noticed too, and assumed a defensive-aggressive posture-wing-arms out, head tucked in and down, but leaning forwards and ready to spring. Cyril moved to her side and stroked and muttered soothingly to her. She relaxed under his caress, and he managed to get her sat down. He noticed her skin was hot and dry again, and went to get a wet cloth to wipe her down with.

Julie, in the meantime, was looking at Rachel again, and then moved to look at a photo, this one of Rachel's marriage to Cyril. Julie was in the picture, in a specially made white dress. It consisted of a long single piece of cloth down the back, which divided at the back of the neck. The two pieces of cloth came over the shoulders and then crossed over to cover the breasts and then fell to conceal the hips and legs, and was belted with a simple red cloth scarf, tied and left hanging by her side. She looked at it, noticing Lawrence, Cyril, George, John, Donna and the Ashes in it, then seemed to relax. Lawrence relaxed too. It seemed that Julie had accepted that everyone else in the room were friends.

The three children approached her tentatively, reaching up to her with their little wings and resting their faces against her body. She did not react as she usually would, by curving her wings around them or lowering her head, but neither, Lawrence was relieved to see, did she attack them, or react in a threatening manner.

It was an hour later that Lu returned, accompanied by his mother.

Lu has told me what has been going on. I would like him to accompany you, for if you find a way to reverse the process he has been through, he and I would like him to be there so he can be returned to normal as soon as possible. she said. Lu came in as Cyril opened the door to allow him in. The parent and child Lugia gave each other one last look before Lu turned back to the others in the room and the mother Lugia spread her wings and flew back out to sea.

The sun had now set, so they could make no further progress until tomorrow. Lu chose to stay with Cyril and Rachel, and Lawrence took his children, Julie, and the three Ashes to the guest house that Rachel's mother ran for some food and a bed for the night, planning to be up bright and early the next morning. The journey to Orré would take as long as their return that day.

Lawrence could only think of one possible answer to the dilemma of how to deShadow Rachel, Lu, and Julie. He would take them to the official scientific expert on purification: Professor Krane.

If he couldn't find an answer, then nobody could.


	34. Cyril's disturbed night

CYRIL'S DISTURBED NIGHT

It was the scream that woke Cyril at oh-dark-hundred that night. Rachel had gone to sleep, and her sleep had been fretful for a time, but Cyril had eventually got used to her little cries and the twitching of her limbs, pulling away so as not to be caught by her flailing fists and kicking feet. He had gone to sleep after some time, exhausted by the day's events.

He sat up bolt upright as the scream-Rachel's scream-tore the silence of the night apart, and he fumbled for the light switch. He switched it on to see Rachel, drenched in sweat, sitting upright, her hands to her face and staring directly ahead. He reached out to touch her shoulder, then realised that that might not be the wisest course of action, and pulled his hand back before it could make contact.

"Rachel?" he said softly. She jerked her head around, and then relaxed as her eyes saw him and focused on him. She reached out, her hands finding his shoulders and rested her head on his chest. He tentatively, slowly, raised a hand to stroke her face and smooth down her hair. He had put a damp flannel by the bed, in case she awoke all hot and dry and itchy, and he picked it up and used it to wipe her sweat-slicked face and limbs. She took a deep breath.

"Cyril." she muttered.

"Rachel." He replied. Then in a different but still gentle tone of voice: "Rachel?" She looked up at him, her lips starting to form a reply, but then she stopped, just looking at him.

"Rachel, you remember me! You remembered my name and you spoke it!"

Rachel continued to look up at him, and then her lips stretched, and she gave a little smile. It was barely a lift of the corners of her mouth but it was a smile. Cyril felt like shouting out the news to everyone. Rachel had spoken, remembered him, and smiled! She was getting better!

Then Rachel's smile faltered, and Cyril saw her go pale. He hugged her closer. "Cyril." She said, her voice frightened. She opened her mouth to say something else, but then her eyelids fluttered shut and she sagged against him. Hurriedly, he lay her down, and felt her forehead. As he had suspected, her temperature was on the rise again. Nipping out to the bathroom, he got a bowl of tepid water and used it to moisten the flannel. Pulling back the covers, he wiped down her hot, dry skin. As he did, he noticed it was beginning to peel again. Underneath, the tender new skin had only the faintest hint of lilac. Cyril could only take this as a good sign as he gently tended his feverish wife.

The door banged open and Rachel twitched in his arms at the noise. It was Lu, looking extremely aggressive, teeth bared, red-edged eyes glaring at Rachel. Based on earlier events, and much speculation, Cyril could guess what had happened. Rachel's scream had awoken the little Lugia, who had come up to find out what the scream was. Due to the Shadow process, however, Lu was not looking to help, but spoiling for a fight!

"Lu, calm down, it's me, Cyril, your friend. Rachel is in no state to battle and neither am I, calm down, Lu, we are your friends, we are your friends!" Cyril desperately said, hoping that the Shadow process had not totally removed the concept of "friend" from Lu's mind. For a moment he thought Lu was going to attack, and rolled Rachel onto the bed, crouching over her protectively to shield her with his own body, bracing himself to bear the attack.

When it didn't come he turned his head, to see Lu, his head tucked low, obviously locked in an inner battle with himself. When he raised his head again and looked at Cyril, the red glow in his eyes had faded some: Lu's original good nature had overcome the aggression the Shadow process had instilled in him: at least for this time. Lu reached his head out sadly in a search for forgiveness: Cyril gave it equally wordless with a few caresses to Lu's head and face, and then Lu turned and went back downstairs to the bean bag he had chosen as his bed in Cyril's house that night. Cyril turned his attention back to Rachel, soothing her skin with the tepid water.

Another hour or two later, her skin seemed to be a better temperature, and she was sleeping peacefully. Cyril put aside the flannel, eased himself into the bed, turned out the light, and sank gratefully into sleep.


	35. Return to Orre

RETURN TO ORRÉ

Despite the events of the night, Lu, Cyril and Rachel were waiting by Lawrence's flying machine when Lawrence, Julie, the three Ashes, and Lawrence's children arrived at the prearranged time.

"I told the kids they could stay with Mrs Farraday, but they wanted to come, and I can't see it being dangerous, we're only going to the Orré Pokémon lab, not any Cipher installations. Unless Cipher has invaded the Orré Pokémon lab, they should be safe enough. If we can get Julie back to normal, the first people she'll want to see are the kids." Cyril nodded: he hoped Rachel would soon start asking about their own children soon.

Rachel herself was looking at Julie. As she had the day before, she reached out to her, but this time Julie didn't react in a hostile fashion. She allowed Rachel to gently touch her face and shoulder.

"J-Julie." Rachel managed. Lawrence turned to face her.

"She's talking again?" he said.

"She started talking last night, just my name, twice, but then she passed out. I don't know what they did to her but I think she's recovering, but she has some pretty nasty side effects. It's like her body's rejecting whatever junk the Shadow process left her with, or as if there's an internal fight going on, and her normal self is winning. Her skin is peeling, and the lilac colour is fading with every layer."

"Perhaps she _is_ rejecting something." came another voice from behind them. "Perhaps I can draw a blood sample to test, and have some of that peeling skin?" It was George. Cyril nodded, and George was fairly easily able to get some of the skin peeling from her face and arms, but getting a blood sample was another matter. She panicked the moment George got out the empty syringe to use, and it was all Cyril could do to stop her bolting away from George, as she cried out in wordless terror and fought to escape his grip.

"I don't know why, but it's the needle, she's terrified!" cried Cyril. The moment George put it away, Rachel calmed down, although her eyes never left the pocket that George had put the needle in.

"Rachel, George isn't going to hurt you, but I can see you're scared. We want to take some blood to try and find out what's happening to you. Would you trust me to take it?" Rachel looked at Cyril and nodded. "It's okay, I am trained, my sister taught me so I could assist her at times." Cyril told George.

Getting the empty syringe to Cyril was a problem, however, because Rachel fretted when George reached to get it. Letting Cyril take the syringe from George's pocket solved the problem, and he quickly took some blood from her, and handed the syringe back to George, who took it off to get it checked out. Once they had dealt with that, they all got on the flying machine.

It was going to be a long and rather boring journey, so Lawrence encouraged the others to all find something to do. The four children and Lu went down to the exhibition hall to play, and the two adult Ashes got back on the holographic chessboard. Cyril used his time trying to persuade Rachel to talk some more, getting out her Pokémon and asking her to tell him what Pokémon they were, and what their nicknames were. He also encouraged her to choose nicknames for her Sandshrew, and to pick one out for the Treecko to give it once it had been deShadowed. Julie sat in a seat next to Lawrence, looking either at him or out of the window, and her lack of expression broke his heart.

Several hours later, Lawrence could see the Orré Pokémon lab, and had called up Professor Krane to warn him that they were coming, and why.

"I look forward to your visit." He told them. "The receptionist will tell you where my office is when you get here. I have someone here who wants to see you, and I think I have some good news for you."


	36. The Purify Chamber

THE PURIFY CHAMBER

They landed on the grass verge in front of the lab ten minutes later. The Orré Pokémon lab was an impressive glass-fronted two-storey building with a huge hologram of a poké ball on the top of it. Lawrence, his arm around an impassive Julie, led the way, with Cyril, leading Rachel and Lu following, and the Ashes and Julie's three youngsters bringing up the rear.

As promised, the receptionist was expecting them, and gave very clear and concise directions on how to get to Krane's office, which involved catching an elevator. Due to the size of the party (not to mention a ten-foot Lugia) they had to make three trips to get everybody up. They then proceeded to the office. The door opened, to reveal a pink-dressed lady, a brown-haired man with a green shirt and a lab-coat, and a little blue-haired girl in a white dress.

The woman said "Hello, I take it you are our visitors from the other continent, come to speak to the Professor about purifying some Pokémon." Her gaze wandered over Rachel, Lu, and Julie in turn. "I can see that your query is genuine."

"Definitely." said Rachel, who had improved some during the journey.

"Rachel isn't a Pokémon either." Cyril pointed out. "I'll explain later, when we've got this sorted out.

The man in the lab coat stood, identifying himself as Professor Krane. "You must excuse Lily, we've all been rather jumpy over the last month or so, what with this Cipher business. Cipher were trying to get me to tell about my purification research, and so we've feared a repeat attempt of my kidnapping, or worse, sabotage of the Purify Chambers." He turned to the small blue-haired girl. "Jovi, could you run down and tell the people to get the chambers ready for up to three occupants? Tell them that all nine have to be at perfect tempo." The girl gave a chirpy "Yes, Professor Krane! Jovi can do it!" and set off at a run out of the door.

Krane smiled as she exited.

"Ah, the exuberance of youth! I wish I had Jovi's boundless energy. Now, as Lily pointed out, I can see the problem you face with all three of your friends there."

"Rachel is actually a lot better than when we first found her." Cyril said, and told the Professor about what Rachel had been like when they first found her, and her subsequent fevers, bouts of aggression, and peeling skin. Krane nodded.

"It certainly sounds like an immune response, although Pokémon tissue usually doesn't cause such a response in humans. Perhaps your doctor friend back on Shamouti can, after all, find out the cause." He spoke directly to Rachel. "Based on your present progress, I think you can eliminate the effects naturally. This is just as well, seeing as getting you into the Purify Chambers could be a problem, seeing as, not being a Pokémon, you could not go into the computer in a poké ball, and thus into the Purify Chambers. However, your husband was on the right track when he got your Pokémon to surround you. That is what we do in the Purify Chambers-put the Shadow Pokémon with up to four non-Shadow Pokémon. This, over time, opens up their hearts. I think while we get down to purifying your two friends here, you could sit in the TV room with your Pokémon around you, which would be the closest approximation. Your husband certainly felt that it had helped. "

Rachel reached to her belt, where her poké balls were set, and handed the Professor a poké ball.

"Purify, please?" she managed with difficulty. The Professor opened the poke ball, to reveal a small Treecko, and Cyril explained that he had the Shadow-Sight ability, and could see that the Treecko was indeed a Shadow Pokémon. Krane nodded.

"Of course, we'll put it in the Purify Chamber for you." He told Rachel. He turned to Lawrence.

"Now, I take it that both these individuals can go into poké balls?"

"Lu has never been in one, but he is a Pokémon, so it should be possible. Julie has, and Cyril entrusted me with a couple of Master balls. I think now may be the time to use them, if Lu and Julie need to be put in a computer."

"Yes, they will, to enter the Purify Chambers." Krane said.

"I'll need to pop back to my machine to get them." Lawrence said.

"Well, we can take Rachel down to the lounge, and you can pop back to get them. If we meet at the reception desk, we can then go to the Purify Chamber room."

This was done, Lawrence telling Julie to stay with Cyril while he went back for the Master balls. Rachel was quickly and quietly settled in the lounge with five of her original team all around her. (The Sandshrew and her Charizard had been left in Lawrence's machine.) Then they went to the reception desk, where Lawrence, having known exactly where to he'd stored the Master balls, had got back to, and from there, Krane led them to the Purify Chamber room.

They entered the room, and Krane said "Oh yes, as I said, there is someone who I think you will be glad to see, being as you're Shamouti Islanders." He went to the computer, withdrew a poké ball, and released the occupant. Everyone (except Julie and Lu) looked up, gasped, and then smiled.

It was Lugia, and what was more, Cyril could see that he had been restored back to normal, his feathers their usual ivory white and royal blue, his feet rounded, his eyes and their outgrowths were back to normal. Lugia looked at them, then shot forwards to entwine his neck with his son's.

Unfortunately, Lu, in his semi-Shadowed state, took it as an attack, and bit his father on the shoulder, hard. Lugia bellowed as Lu drew blood, and wrested himself free.

He cannot help it, his heart is almost fully closed. Lugia told the assembled group. If you can cure him the way you cured me, I would be grateful. Lawrence stepped forwards, holding a Master ball in his hand.

"I never thought, after the year 2000, and especially after befriending Lu, that I'd be doing this." He said, then hurled the Master ball at Lu, and although he struggled, eventually the ball ceased its rocking and lay still. "Or this." He said, throwing the other at Julie, who barely struggled. Lawrence picked up the two occupied balls, and gave then to Professor Krane.

"When Jovi's brother put Lugia there into the chambers, Lugia looked very different to how he did then. Cipher had announced him to be unpurifiable. However, he purified up all at once, and we think it's something to do with having what we call perfect tempo in all the chambers. If your two friends there have been through the same process, then this will hopefully happen to them." Krane told them. He put the Treecko, Lu, and Julie into the computer, then used the computer to transfer all three into the readied Purify Chambers.

There was a pregnant pause, and then Krane smiled, and whooped. "It worked! They're ready to undergo the final ceremony to clear the last vestiges of Shadow from their hearts." He turned to Lawrence. "As the one who knows them best-apart from Lu's father, who is too large-I suggest you carry it out. Could you step onto the circular plate in the middle of the floor, please?"

Puzzled, Lawrence did so. He found himself in a holographic representation of one of the chambers. Above him was Julie, outlined in a strange white glow, but back to her normal blue and white colouration. Around her were four Pokémon-a Delcatty, a Teddiursa, a Snorlax, and a Meowth. Holographic stars and music notes filled the air, and a jaunty tune was playing. He heard Krane's voice as if from far away.

"You're taking the place of the Relic Stone in Agate in there. When you're ready, say the word."

"There is a Pokémon that is ready to open its heart." Said the voice of the woman Lawrence had first seen upon entering the room. "Would you like to purify it?"

"Yes." Lawrence said. Suddenly the walls around him crawled with an upwards-rushing green pattern, which met at the top and burst down upon Julie. He saw the last of the purple Shadow Aura burst away from her, and saw her blink, as if awakening from a deep sleep. Then he saw her wink out.

"It's okay, she's just gone into the computer," Krane assured him.

"There is another Pokémon that wants to open its heart." Came the woman's voice again. "Would you like to switch chambers?"

"Yes." said Lawrence, and his surroundings changed slightly. He was in a different chamber, and he saw Lu, again surrounded by four different Pokémon and outlined in a white light. The process was repeated with Lu, and then Lawrence came out of the holographic representation. Krane went to the computer and took the two Master balls out, handing them to Lawrence. Lawrence released Lu and Julie, and was almost knocked over as Julie ran to him, throwing her wings around him and kissing him all over. Lu and his father raced to embrace necks again, calling excitedly and almost deafening all present.

A few minutes later, Julie released Lawrence, bending to embrace her three excited children. After giving then lots of kisses and wing-hugs, she stood, and peered disgustedly at the little ribbon attached to her white chest feathers.

"These are getting depressingly familiar." she said. "How many of these do I have now? Five, I think!"

Lawrence's PDA suddenly beeped, and Lawrence answered. It was George.

"We analysed Rachel's skin and blood, and it's full of Pokémon stem cells. These cells usually proliferate well in tissue, but either by accident or design, these ones are not reproducing at all, which is good or Rachel would be in serious trouble. I think Cipher goofed. It looks like they tried to grow these cells extra-fast, to get enough to put in Rachel, but whatever drug they introduced to induce rapid division has actually had a toxic effect. They are all dying, and the fevers and peeling skin are occurring because Rachel's body is getting rid of all this dead material. I'd say she'd take a week at the longest to return to normal."

"That is very good news." said Cyril, who had overheard. He told them the good news about Lugia, Lu, and Julie, and then signed off.

"Well, I suggest we all join your friend in the lounge while her Treecko Purifies up." said Krane. "Jovi's older brother has smashed Cipher now, and I bet the ONBS network will be the first ones to carry the story. Let's go see!"

The reunited friends went to the TV room, except for Lugia and Lu, who sat outside on the grass outside the lab. Lu reached for, and found, Rachel's mind.

She's much better already! he told his father. I'm glad we're both back to ourselves!

Lugia couldn't have agreed more, and showed it by twining necks with his son again.


	37. Shadow's Return

SHADOW'S RETURN

Cyril?

The little mental voice deftly insinuated itself into his mind, and Cyril smiled. Lu was getting more and more adept at his psychic abilities, even managing to penetrate Cyril's intense concentration as he painted the designs for that year's batch of his Shamouti scenes postcards.

Three months had passed since the latest "Shadow" incident, summer was in full swing, and the annual Legend Festival was just weeks away. The Ashes had recently arrived, and were currently exploring the nooks and crannies of Shamouti Island so far almost inaccessible to people, seeking out the suspected rare Pokémon that lived in the forested mountain slopes at the island's interior.

Rachel was out with Lu, so Cyril wondered just what Lu wanted. He sounded concerned.

What is it, Lu? Cyril replied likewise, knowing that although his own telepathic abilities were much weaker than Lu's, Lu's strong mind would "hear" him.

Is it my imagination, or has Rachel's skin gone darker purple again? I though it was going to fade over time? Cyril sighed. He was glad that he himself had had a chance to discuss this with George, so he could put Lu's mind at rest.

Yes, we noticed, and it's George's opinion that it's Rachel's tan that's to blame. The combination of the tan and the purple hint overlaying it makes her skin appear more purple. It's just an illusion. George has taken some skin and a blood sample just to double check, but he thinks it's okay. he assured his psychic friend.

There's something more. said Lu. It wasn't particularly noticeable at first, and I put it down to the last cells making her a bit angry at times, as George said they would. When it started happening for longer and longer, I thought it was that time of the month when women got angry, but I've since found out that that time comes and goes. Rachel's mind is angry below the surface _all_ the time. There's no variance, and it's getting stronger week by week. Her mind-it's beginning to feel how it did when Cipher had her.

**WHAT!** Cyril mentally bellowed. He shot out of his seat, dropping his paintbrush, and only just stopping his washing jar from spilling its contents over the picture he was painting. Grabbing his jacket and keys, he said I'm going to have a quick word with George, and then I'm coming to get Rachel. Is it something she's noticed? Have you said anything to her?

No. Lu said. She seems unaware.

Don't tell her: we don't want to worry her if there's a reasonable explanation for it, and if it IS something worse, I'd prefer to be the one to tell her. Cyril said. Just act normal, I'll be there soon.

Cyril went out and around to the Shamouti Poké Centre. Donna was on duty, and he said he needed to speak to George. Flipping open the counter, she gestured for him to go through. He went in, bypassing the Pokémon beds and intensive care section of the Poké Centre, going through to the foyer entrance to George's lab. Throwing on a lab coat as the signs asked visitors to do, he went through, to find George sitting at a microscope, checking several slides.

"George, have you had a look at Rachel's samples yet?" Cyril asked.

"Not yet. I've prepared them and have left them to stain, but they should be ready to view by now." George said. He got up, and moved over to another section of lab. He had several carefully prepared slides on a tray, and he put this tray by the microscope, and started viewing the slides. His eyebrows shot up at the first, which he removed with a mutter of "Must have got contaminated." He frowned upon viewing the second, which he also put to one side. He swore upon viewing the third, and then quickly viewed the remaining three. His language worsened with each subsequent slide, and he stood up from his stool.

"I don't understand it!" he said. "I'd best check the culture plates, although I'm not sure if they will show anything yet." He opened a special culture growth warmer, and took out two Petri dishes, peering through the plastic lid at some small spots on the special tissue culture medium within. He came out with another colourful curse, and put them back.

"The one with a drop of blood and a flake of skin spread over them are showing some sort of growth. The others have been carefully diluted, but they will probably show the same thing in the morning."

"And?" Cyril said. "What does this mean for Rachel? What's happening? What's the problem? You said the cells were dying and would be gone by now!"

"That's what I thought." George said, sitting back down. He put his head in his hands. "When I checked last time, all I could see was dead and dying stem cells. I didn't think to try growing any on culture medium, I assumed they were all dying, but all it would take would be less than one per cent of what she was given to survive and grow to start turning her back the way she was, and in fact it could get worse."

"How much worse?" asked Cyril.

"Much worse. Even a small amount of those cells surviving could cause her trouble, if they were in her body when she went through the Shadow process. Those cells are effectively the cells of a Shadow Pokémon. The type of cells they are, stem cells, divide rapidly and then specialise, depending on where they go. If they go to the liver, they will turn into liver cells, if they go to the brain, they will turn into brain cells. All it takes is a small number of these stem cells to survive and begin dividing. I think we should go and get Rachel and get some more samples. If I can compare her blood several hours apart, I might be able to get an idea of how fast this is happening. Drat!" He thumped the table. "Why didn't I think of this and check earlier?"

Cyril went down to the beach to get Rachel, and break the news to her. She saw him, waved, and swam to shore. As she got out, he was surprised to see how mauve her skin was. It was almost as dark as after her first peeling. It must have happened so gradually that he must have not noticed it.

"Cyril, what's wrong?" she asked, seeing the look on his face. She picked up a towel, and began rubbing herself dry with it. He explained about what Lu had sensed, and what George had found from the samples. She went pale, and said, "Well, I guess we'd better go see him."

They got to George's lab, and George took some more blood. He put some onto a culture plate, and spread more onto slides and stained them. "Part of the problem here is the growth of the cells. Each time they divide, you end up with twice as many. If one cell takes 24 hours to divide, you have 2 by day two, 4 by day 3, 8 by day four and so on. By Day 20, you'd need a calculator to work out how many you'd get, which would run into the thousands. It's what we call exponential growth."

"Talk English, won't you?" snapped Rachel. "What does this mean for me?"

"It means that, assuming these cells divide once every 24 hours, although it's taken you three months to get this Shadowed, you'll be twice as Shadowed as this tomorrow, and four times as Shadowed the day after tomorrow. Your Shadowing is going to accelerate rapidly, and I don't know quite what to do to stop it. You can't be put in a Purify Chamber, and I don't know a way to get these living cells that have lodged in your body out. We could try chemotherapy, but we can't be sure we'd get them all, and it could make you seriously ill or kill you. I could try and create a receptor we could attach to the drug to make it only target the stem cells, but that will take time, and I don't know how much. It could take a week, three months or a year."

Rachel bowed her head, to hide the tears that had welled up in her eyes. "So I'm going to be completely turned to Shadow, in possibly as little as a week?" she asked.

"I'd estimate a week to two weeks." Said George.

"One week or two, it doesn't really matter, does it?" she asked, turning her back so neither man would see the tears fall, or the fact that none rose to replace them. Rachel was feeling numb, and didn't know if it was due to shock, or the Shadow Process working on her further. "I'm still going to end up Shadowed, and it means that that bitch Lovrina has won."


	38. A Race Against Time

A RACE AGAINST TIME

"George, could you start doing that?" Cyril asked. He grabbed Rachel, and turned her to face him. "Look, Rachel, we will find a way to beat this, even if it takes time. Don't give up! I think that while George works on that receptor, we should go back to Professor Krane and see if he's got any ideas. We'll go right away, in Lawrence's machine if he agrees. After last time, he got John to fix powerful lights to it so he can see where he's going at night. We'll contact him on the way-we can drop the kids there too so they don't notice what's happening too much-and see if he has any suggestions. If anyone will know what to do, it'll be him. We won't take this lying down and we certainly won't let that Lovrina woman win!"

Rachel didn't answer for a moment, but then she gave a decisive nod. "You're right! Let's get ready and go." She walked out of the lab after hanging up her lab coat, and Cyril looked at George.

"Is that her, or is that the aggression of the Shadow process?" he asked.

"I couldn't say." Said George. "It could be both, one enhancing the other, but don't sit wondering if each new reaction is or is not, go out and contact Professor Krane. The quicker you speak to him, the quicker you get to find out if he has any ideas. I'll start working on the receptor straight away. I'll also do some drug toxicity tests to find if there is any drug that affects these cells more severely than Rachel's own cells. I'll also contact Bill, to see if his Cell Separation System could be re-built and used to separate the Pokémon stem cells from Rachel's own." Cyril nodded, and headed out after Rachel.

He found her in the Shamouti Island Gym, watching Lawrence and Julie battling a trainer. Once they had finished, and presented the trainer with his well-earned badge, they came over to enquire what was wrong. Rachel and Cyril took it in turns to explain various parts of the problem to Lawrence, who frowned and said "Let me pick up the kids, they can keep your two entertained and, hopefully, from asking too many awkward questions. Meet me at the machine."

When he arrived, he not only had his children, but the three Ashes came along too. "I found them waiting, George had called them and asked them to come back, luckily they were heading back anyway. We're not anticipating trouble, but just in case, we'll have plenty of back-up."

They all got aboard the machine, and Cyril spent the journey sitting by Rachel, trying to cheer her up, make her laugh, or smile. She just sat looking around, and Cyril didn't know if this was another manifestation of Shadow, or just Rachel getting depressed.

When night fell, Lawrence turned on his powerful lights, enabling then to travel during the night, rather than having to stop and lose who knew how much time till the morning. Cyril, in the meantime, called up Professor Krane, who said he thought he might have a solution, but he needed to talk to somebody to check, and that it was only a slim chance anyway.

"I'll take any chance, no matter how slim." Cyril said.

"Well, I should know in a few hours whether you can try this method or not, I'll call you back the moment I know anything." Krane said. "Once I've made my calls, I'll grab a few hour's sleep, then I can be up bright and early for whatever time you arrive." He said. Cyril nodded, deciding to do the same. He signed off, and curled up in bed with Rachel, holding her to him and murmuring encouraging things to her till he slept.

It was not a restful sleep. Once, a blow to the eye woke him rather painfully. It was Rachel, thrashing out and writhing in her sleep. He carefully moved to the other side of the bed, but twice more he was woken by her thrashing about in a dream, and he was rather glad when the beeping of his PDA forced him out of bed. Sleepily, he answered it.

"Right, I've spoken to Eagun of Agate Village, and he said he'd ask around to see if anyone might have any Time Flutes." Professor Krane told him. "These flutes can instantly summon up Celebi, who will Purify any Pokémon completely in one go. If he can find one, he'll bring it tomorrow. If not, he suggests visiting the Relic Stone anyway. He says he doesn't know if it will help, but it's worth a try. That Stone has some mystical power we still don't totally understand. The legend says that the Stone was given its power by Celebi itself, and if that is true, it may have properties we still don't know about."

"Okay, and thank you!" said Cyril. He signed off.

Deciding it was futile to try and gain any further sleep, he asked Julie who was nearby to keep an eye on Rachel, and went up and offered to take over piloting from Lawrence, who he guessed must be feeling tired. Lawrence gratefully accepted, and handed over control of the machine to Cyril.

Several hours later, as dawn was breaking, they landed at the Orré Pokémon lab, and Cyril woke his children, taking them along with Lawrence's three to Lily, who promised to find them something entertaining to do. Then he went back for Rachel, Julie, Lawrence and the three Ashes, and they went to find Krane.

"I'll come with you to Agate, it will add to my studies to see the effects of a Time Flute, if they have one." Krane said, grabbing up a box of scientific instruments and his trusty research notes. He accompanied them back to the machine and they proceeded to Agate. Professor Krane spoke to Rachel during the journey, trying to ascertain how far the Shadow Process had gone. He said that the fact that she could still speak, albeit with difficulty, suggested that she was at about the stage he'd first seen her at during her first visit. However, he too expressed concern at how quickly the process could accelerate. "I'm just glad you made best speed to get here." He said.

Agate wasn't so far from the Pokémon lab by air, and soon they were landing in front of the bridge to Agate Village. They made their way to Eagun's house, to find him waiting outside.

"I'm afraid that I couldn't find anyone who possessed a Time Flute. It appears that they all got used last time around." He looked sorrowfully at Rachel. "I'm sorry to see what has happened to you. I suggest we go to visit the Relic Stone. There may be something the Stone can do for you." Eagun turned, and led the way to the Relic Stone. The man guarding the entrance moved aside respectfully to let them pass, wishing Rachel the best of luck.

As they approached the Stone, it did seem to give off a brief green glow, but there was no doubt that the Stone had some strange power. Everyone there could feel it. Eagun led Rachel over to it, and took her hands, placing them on the Stone's rough curving sides. "Think how much you want to be normal again. Think of Celebi healing you, think of the Shadow inside you being driven out. Imagine a clear green sparkling energy filling you and expelling the darkness within. Ask Celebi for help, Rachel!" he said.

Pulling back, he said "Beluah found some ancient text suggesting that people around and standing in certain points could help with the Stone's powers. Here." He said, taking the two Ashes, and taking them to where the path started. "You stand at North, the woman in front, facing the Stone, the man behind, with his hands on her shoulders." Puzzled, the two Ashes complied. "You two, go to the South position and do the same." he said to Lawrence and Julie. They did so, as Beluh came down with a young girl about the same age as young Ash.

"Young master Ash, could you stand at West with Rithian here?" he asked. He did, going a bit red as the girl Rithian smiled shyly at him.

"Beluh and I will take the East position." He said. He did so, and slowly began chanting in a language nobody present understood.

Rachel, in the meantime, was fighting the purple haze at the periphery of her vision. Trying to think of words, to think of what Eagun had advised was like trying to wade through treacle-very slow stuff. Summoning all her will, she imagined as Eagun had told her, a green light flooding through her, the shadow inside her being washed out, feeling normal again. She looked up to the top of the cave above the relic stone. Slowly, her lips spelt out words as her mind and heart spoke them as well.

"Celebi…help me…please….Celebi…"

Those watching could not say where it started, or where it came from, but there was suddenly something very fast and green spiralling swiftly around Rachel, leaving a glittering green trail behind it. It paused a foot or so above and away from Rachel's head, which was turning to look at the little green and white creature with great black-rimmed eyes and antennae that hung there. It paused, then pointed one little arm above Rachel's head, and a shining blaze of green light glowed around the Celebi, and shot out and coalesced into a spiky ball of energy over Rachel's head. Droplets and sparks of green energy fell onto Rachel like a strange rain, and where it struck, she changed.

Where it fell on skin, her skin lightened and returned to normal. As it fell upon her, she started to look around, smiling and laughing, losing the lack of expression that had recently come over her face. Her eyes lit up and she raised her arms and spun in the light, which continued to rain upon her. The last remaining lilac bits on Rachel seemed to briefly darken, and then seemed to leap off her skin into the air, where like some strange gas, it dispersed. The green light seemed to be eliminating it and cleansing the air around Rachel. A minute after it had started, the light winked out, and only then did everyone notice that Celebi too was no longer present.

Cyril, who had been standing back, rushed forwards to embrace Rachel. She embraced him back.

"Is that it? Is the nightmare over now?" she asked.

"Yes, Rachel, it is. The Shadow is gone from you." He assured her.

"Drat! Celebi didn't stay around long enough to be studied!" Krane said. Eagun smiled.

"It seems that Pokémon still have some secrets to be hidden from us. It came because your friend was in desperate need. It helped her. That is the important thing."

"That's true, but I still wish it had stayed around longer." Krane said. Eagun turned to the assembled group.

"I take it you will be wanting to pick up your children and go home. Would you like something to drink before you go? Beluh and I have not entertained a lot of guests for too long. Would you honour us by staying for a cup of tea?"

"Rachel looked at Cyril and nodded, as Lawrence noticed and said, "Yes, why not? After all there's no rush at the moment. We have all the time in the world."


End file.
